


Who We Become

by Browhal1



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers Ninja Steel
Genre: Alien Abduction, Coming of Age, Fluff and Angst, Gap Filler, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Traumatized Children
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:47:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 22,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28925307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Browhal1/pseuds/Browhal1
Summary: Destiny is a funny thing. The promise of future events- though not always how one would expect. Brothers Brody and Aiden didn't know they were destined to be power rangers, but one fateful day set them on a path that would change their lives forever. It would take a while before they saw their destiny fulfilled. Ten long years. Yet those years laid the foundation for the heroes they would become.ORThis is my take on what happened to the Romero brothers during the time span between the first and second scene of the pilot
Relationships: Brody Romero & Levi Weston | Aiden Romero, Dane & Brody & Aiden, Mick Kanic & Brody Romero
Comments: 5
Kudos: 8





	1. Before the Storm

(August 16, 2009)

"Aiden! Psst, Aiden!" An excited whisper cut through Aiden's dreams. He rolled over in his bed to meet the eager brown eyes of his younger brother.

"Brody!" He groaned. Glancing out his bedroom window the first streaks of light were just appearing. "Why did you wake me up so early?"

Brody bounced on his toes unhindered by his brother's grumpiness. "It's dad's birthday, remember?"

"Yes, but it's barely morning. Go back to sleep." Aiden rolled over pulling his pillow over his head. A poke to the ribs brought his attention back to Brody.

"You said you'd help me make him breakfast!" Brody leaned on the mattress forcing Aiden to look at him.

"Yeah, in the morning. But it's not time to be up yet!"

"Dad gets up early, it won't be a surprise if we wait!"

Groaning in defeat Aiden sat up. "Alright, I'll be down in a second."

Exclaiming in delight Brody ran out of the room. Aiden could hear his feet thundering down the stairs. _'If dad wasn't awake yet he probably is now.'_ Though he was only a year and a half older than his eight-year-old brother, the gap often felt much wider. Following at a much slower pace Aiden made his way down to the kitchen trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes. In the soft light of the new day he saw Brody rummaging through cupboards near the fridge.

Yawning Aiden stepped beside him. "We can't use the stove, so what did you have in mind?"

Brody pointed to an old toaster sitting on the counter. "I know how to use that, and we can get his cereal and juice ready for him."

Pulling out things as they found them, the counter was soon crowded with bread, butter, cereal boxes and dishes. By the time the sun peeked its head through the trees surrounding the property the boys had everything ready how they wanted it, even if the bread had been left in the toaster a little too long.

"Let's take it up to him!" Brody tugged on Aiden's arm.

"Ok, but I'm carrying the bowl and glass, you can take the plate." Remembering the way Brody had run down the stairs earlier he then added, "We want to surprise dad, so let's go up like ninja, not elephants."

A determined glint appeared in Brody's eye and he straightened his shoulders. "He won't hear us coming."

Taking their respective dishes the brothers padded softly out of the kitchen and towards the stairs. Their pace was slow and deliberate, both making sure they avoided the creakier of the wooden stairs. Dane's room was at the end of the hall past both boys' rooms. At his door Brody, who had a free hand, gently grasped the knob and turned it quickly enough that the latch wouldn't click but softly enough that knob itself to rattle. Aiden nodded admiringly at Brody's technique.

Inside Dane's sleeping form could be seen under his blankets. Thanks to his meticulous nature the boys didn't have to watch out for tripping hazards as they crept forward. Aiden suddenly had an idea. Nudging Brody he set the dishes softly on a dresser sitting next to the door. He then glanced toward the still form of their father. A sly grin appeared on Brody's face as he followed suit. Aiden held up his fingers. ' _3...2...1!'_

Fully intending to take the sleeper off guard they were not prepared when the not-actually-asleep form of their dad rolled out of the way. The boys crashed into the now unoccupied mattress with a loud thump.

"Happy Birthday! And man, I thought we had you this time." Brody said as he looked up at their father, who was now leaning against his wall chuckling at the sight.

"You might have if it weren't for this noise that woke me up, oh about twenty minutes ago." Dane laughed again at Brody's sheepish expression. "After that though, I have to say I was impressed. I didn't hear you come up the stairs at all or open the door. It was only a faint slosh of what I assume is what caused the excitement in the first place, that alerted me to you both being in here."

The boys glanced at each other and grinned. Hearing one of the world's most renowned ninjutsu masters say he was proud of their technique wasn't praise to be taken lightly.

"Thanks Dad!" Aiden bounded over and gave Dane a hug. "And Happy Birthday!"

Dane smiled down at his oldest son. "Thank you, now I'll eat and get ready. I'll be down soon."

The boys nodded and raced each other out of the room. Shaking his head at their antics Dane looked towards the dishes sitting on the dresser. The now soggy cereal and blackened toast weren't the most appealing of prospects, but Dane downed them anyway grateful for the effort -and so he could truthfully respond that he ate them if asked.

Appreciating the juice to wash down the odd flavors, Dane finished dressing and brought his dishes down to the kitchen. Soft thuds came from the boys' rooms as he passed. As it was only seven in the morning during summer vacation, Dane wondered briefly if the boys would go back to bed. His query was answered a few minutes later when steps could be heard on the stairs.

Dressed and eager the boys made their way back into the kitchen. Dane set out cereal for the boys, giving himself a birthday present in the form of not making breakfast.

"I have a project I need to complete today in the barn. It's nearly finished so I'm hoping to be done by lunch. You both have chores to do then I want you to go through your forms for a half hour. You know the areas you have to work on."

"Okay Dad." Brody pulled a slight face at the mention of chores but knew any complaining would only add to the list.

Trusting his sons to follow his instructions Dane headed outside. The barn sat off to the side of the house. Peeling white paint and cracked windows belied the importance of what it held. Though somewhat dim and disorganized with several shelves holding a myriad of tools, supplies and wayward pieces of metal, the pride of the room was a large open-faced forge set snugly against the far wall. Roughly the size of a stove top it held a large pile of coals that would allow a flame to stay strong and tall. An exhaust pipe hung three feet above to filter out smoke. Next to it sat the hammer and anvil with another table nearby to set extra tools on.

Though Dane was internationally known for his martial arts skills, he preferred to be close to home with his boys when he could, especially as school was now out. If he wanted he could make a decent sum in tournaments or teaching in a larger city, but that would all too easily steal time away from his sons. As a single dad he didn't want that. So to supplement income Dane created masterpieces in the forge. Project demands varied in time and effort, but this arrangement allowed him to keep a closer eye on the boys.

While he was versatile in his creations, the ones he enjoyed making the most were weapons. His own katana had been a labor of love. Hours stolen between other projects had been slow, but the three months it had taken produced a simple but strong blade. The current orders were not as elaborate, but the cycle of heating, hammering and reheating required his full attention.

As Dane went to work in the barn the boys hurried through their assigned tasks. Bathrooms and bedrooms were put in order, the few stray dishes loaded and floors swept. Domestic chores out of the way the boys headed outside to work on their forms.

Staying in a low ready stance kicks, strikes and blocks were executed one after another. Over and over again they practiced, wanting it to be perfect not just to impress Dane, but to give them the muscle memory needed for real fights. The sun grew hotter and Brody was the first to call it quits.

"It's definitely been over a half hour." He panted, beginning his cool down stretches.

Aiden's determined gaze was still on his invisible partner as he sent a sidekick out at waist height, followed by a punch toward the face. Ending with a kiai on his final punch Aiden dropped back to ready position.

"Very good boys." Dane's voice caused them to jump. "Your practice is paying off, Aiden one thing is make sure you lead with your heel on your side kick. That's where the power is centered, not on the pad of your foot. Brody you're still tensing up too much in your shoulders. You have to stay loose to move effectively."

Brody scowled slightly. "I try, but when I focus on doing that I forget where I am in my form. And when I'm focused on my form I forget to stay loose."

Dane chuckled. "It takes practice. It's muscle memory and being aware of multiple things at once. Don't let it discourage you, let it drive you."

Brody pulled another face, but Aiden nodded thoughtfully. "If you let mistakes get in your head they begin to control you."

"Very true. And on that note Brody was right, it's been well over a half hour. I have one more task for you boys before we go in for lunch." Dane pulled two strips of cloth from his pocket. Aiden let out a small groan at the sight. "None of that." Dane chided mildly. "There may be situations where you can't rely on every one of your senses. Better to be prepared for nothing than unprepared if you find yourself in said situation."

Aiden reluctantly nodded as he and Brody tied the blindfolds around their eyes. Dane put his hand on their shoulders to lead them.

"You have 20 minutes to find the box when I start your time. Standard rules, it's buried, and anything goes except using your eyes."

Aiden nodded and heard Brody mumble in acknowledgment. Aiden caught the soft squeak of a door opening before Dane ushered them forward. _'The barn again._ ' Dane's hand abruptly left his shoulder.

"Time starts now."

Aiden slipped off his shoes. Even though Dane was always discrete in where he buried the practice box Aiden hoped there would be some disparities his feet could pick up. Arms extended he tried to get a bearing of where he was. Although if past experiences were anything to go on Dane had probably shifted the furniture from their normal setting.

Edging along the packed earth Aiden's knee found a table. Using that as a landmark he circled it until a wall greeted his outstretched hand. _'Okay I think I'm on the far side of the forge. Dad wouldn't have buried it over there since he was using it earlier.'_ Aiden smiled ruefully. Ninja training with scrapes and bruises was one thing, first aid practice on burns was another matter.

"Ow!" Brody yelped from Aiden's left.

Aiden snickered to himself only to have his own toes catch a table leg. He lifted his foot and hissed slightly but didn't want Brody to know his own error. Nursing it for only a few seconds Aiden laid his foot flat again, time was ticking. _'Where would he have put it this time? He's good at packing the earth down so it doesn't feel different but there has to be some clue.'_ Aiden tried to think. Wandering around attempting not to hit anything was rapidly losing its appeal. Crawling on his hands and knees didn't sound much better.

Aiden shifted slightly and his foot found a small divot in the ground. He frowned in thought and felt around it. A few seconds later he had traced the faint outline of Dane's bootprint. _'Maybe he left a trail...?'_ Cautiously Aiden swept his foot on the nearby ground. Another indent lay just off to his right. Excitement growing Aiden looked for the next one.

A couple minutes later he was still searching but he kept on. Two more minutes ticked by and Aiden was about to admit defeat when the ground beneath him felt different. He couldn't quite put into words why, but he knelt and began to push the dirt aside. It crumbled easily beneath his fingers.

"I found it!"

"Oh man." Brody groaned. "That's three in a row."

Aiden pulled off his blindfold to see himself only two paces from the still warm forge. He'd been so focused he hadn't even noticed the rising heat. Pushing his worry at that aside he looked up at Brody, who was in the corner Aiden had started in, and Dane who was nodding approvingly from the door.

"Fifteen minutes. Good job." Aiden grinned at Dane and stood up with the box in his hands. "Now that that's done how about we go in for some lunch?"

A timely growl from Brody's stomach agreed that was a good idea. Laughing the three made their way back to the house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later in the afternoon Dane pulled his guitar out. Heading onto the deck he sat admiring the sunshine while he strummed through some of his old favorites, the "oldies" from high school, and a couple that he had played for his wife while they were dating. Letting the notes trail off he was quiet for a bit before Brody joined him on the deck.

"Can you play that newer one you've been teaching us? The one you wrote about family?"

Dane smiled. "Sure. Why don't you grab Aiden since this song is for all of us?"

"Already here dad." Aiden's voice echoed in the doorway.

Dane should have guessed. If the guitar was out Aiden was never far away. Dane had started teaching him basic chords and Aiden was picking them up quickly. Nodding to the boys he picked his guitar up. In soft tones he began with Brody and Aiden joining in.

" _I'm with you... a family bond that can't break."_

With Dane and his wife being only children and both their parents now gone it was pretty much just him and his boys. But that was enough.

" _All together. We are one."_

Dane looked at his growing sons with pride. They had shouldered a lot with the death of their mother two years prior- Aiden especially being the older one- but they were stronger for it.

_"Together we are family. Every day now we grow stronger...and we will always, always be... family."_

Brody shifted closer to his dad. Life was almost as perfect as it could be. For one night more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confession: Ninja Steel isn't my most favorite of the power ranger franchise (that designation goes to RPM). However as a fan of the power rangers I still watch the episodes. One thing in particular that really bothered me about the show is that Brody, and by extension Aiden, have ten years of their life stolen from them but it apparently doesn't matter. Being a slave for ten years and being unintentionally abandoned by your family (on both boys part) doesn't seem to be the type of thing that would be easily left in the past. Yet It's covered by three minutes in the opening scene and maybe two more minutes when it's discovered that Levi is Aiden.
> 
> I know they want to focus on the present as they're currently power rangers and time doesn't permit much in way of flashbacks, but to not reference it at all beyond what's obligatory seems ridiculous. Most of the fan fiction I read seemed to follow, for the most part, the TVs story line of glossing over that time frame. Which is fine, but I wanted to know what happened to them that led up to them being the young men they became. So I created the in-between story.


	2. Shadows of Change

(August 17, 2009) 

The following morning saw the sun up well before Brody and Aiden. Given that Dane’s special day was over he had expected it. Deciding to let them sleep in he headed outside to start work in the forge. While waiting for the fire to heat Dane selected the projects he wanted to continue. Only a few small projects were left to finish up as summer vacations and plans drew his customers minds elsewhere. 

Preparing the different metals, he set them to heat in the fire. He had just picked up the hammer when the wind began to blow outside. The shrieking tones were unlike anything he’d heard before. It was as if something was falling from the sky, yet also being carried by the wind. Quickly Dane pulled his half-finished projects out the fire. His work safe, Dane rushed outside to see the source of the noise. 

Nothing was immediately apparent. Dane searched the sky as the wind continued to pick up speed. The force became too much, and he ducked back into the barn. He was just beginning to contemplate running to the house when a heavy thud sounded from outside. Almost instantly the wind died, and a delicate stillness grasped the property. Concerned by the unknown Dane rushed to the window. 

To his relief the house appeared to be intact. There was no sign of his sons in the yard. Yet as he looked there was a glint of metal just inside the window’s line of sight. Worried that some of his equipment may have been tossed in the wind, Dane quickly made his way outside. What he saw left him stunned in his tracks. 

A large metal encrusted object had created a crater several feet deep into the front yard. Cautiously approaching Dane took a closer look. Dirt and grass were spewed across a ten-foot radius and though it was buried somewhat in the ground, the object still came up to Dane’s waist. Overall it appeared circular in shape, but rather than being a unified circle it had six equidistant curved spikes creating the edges. Between the large spikes were much smaller triangular protrusions. The middle of the prism was thicker than the edges and had a raised flat face about the size of a dinner plate. 

The metal surrounding the meteor, for lack of a better term, wasn’t like anything Dane had seen before. It was a deep gray intermingled with light gray streaks. A purple sheen was visible when it caught the sun’s rays, and it almost seemed as if it would glow from time to time. As Dane inspected it close up it didn’t appear damaged from its crash landing. No scuffs or dents marred the surface. 

It was at that moment that both Brody and Aiden ran out of the house. They were still in their pjs, the loud crash had woken them in a way that no alarm clock could ever hope to manage. 

“Dad what happened?” Brody’s voice shook slightly. 

Though accidents were few and far between, Dane had a few scares over the years with both the barn and forge equipment. A crash from the direction of the barn would easily bring out some of the boys’ dormant fears. 

“It’s okay, nothing bad happened. Something crashed from the sky into our yard.”

“Like a satellite?” Aiden moved closer toward the downed object, but Dane put a hand on his shoulder keeping him back. 

“I’m not sure, but it’s not like any pictures of satellites that I’ve seen.” Keeping the boys behind him Dane approached the object. When he was satisfied it was safe Dane carefully dragged the circular intruder out of the ground. It was lighter than he had anticipated. “Hmmm. I’m not sure what to do with this. It doesn’t look government, it almost looks... alien.” Dane’s voice trailed off. “I feel like I’ve seen something like this before, though.” He frowned deep in thought.

“What do you mean Dad?” Aiden was confused. 

“I just feel like I’ve seen a picture of this before, but I can’t place it.” 

Brody joined Dane. “So what are we going to do with it?”

“Let’s take it into my shop for now. Help me lift it.” 

Each taking a hold, they worked to bring it inside. While it was too light to be solid metal, it still required some effort to maneuver the object into the barn. Hoisting it onto a table the boys panted while Dane got his first unmarred view. It was just as magnificent in the dim lighting as it had been in the sun. Though completely encased in metal, it seemed to be emitting its own light. Nothing bright or flashy, but enough that one couldn’t help but look at it. 

“It’s a prism of some sort.” Dane mused out loud. He walked up and ran a hand along its sides. It vibrated under his touch. Startled he drew back a pace, “It’s like it’s alive.” 

Walking back up to the prism he put his hand back on it. Gentle heat again bloomed beneath his fingers. Dane kept his hand on this time and the metal began to flake. He pulled away leaving small bits of metal in his wake. 

“That shouldn’t be possible.” 

Brody cocked his head, “ What shouldn’t be possible?”

“This prism survived a crash in our backyard without so much as a scratch on it, but it’s coming off when I just touch it. Whatever it is, it doesn’t seem like it would come off so easily.”

Aiden stared thoughtfully at the prism. “Maybe, well maybe it... wants to come off?”

“This prism does seem to have some sentience...” Dane placed his hand back on the prism. “Do you want the metal taken off?” Dane felt silly talking to an object, but his inquiry was rewarded when the metal grew even warmer under his hand. “Okay, but I’m not sure if any of my tools will get the job done.”

Rummaging through the shelves as Brody and Aiden watched, Dane found a chisel and hammer. Tools in hand Dane walked back to the prism. A soft red glow emanated from under the crust. 

“Well, here goes...” 

With careful deliberate strokes Dane chiseled against the metal. The peg found resistance, but it was much less than he had anticipated. Between the heat from the prism and Dane’s expertise the metal began to fall away. 

Even with the help of the prism it was slow going. The odd shape made it difficult to keep a consistent strike as well as adding more surface area that needed to be cleared. Yet bit by bit the metallic crust fell away and a brilliant white crystal became more and more visible. 

By lunchtime Dane had a spoke and a half cleared. “I think we’ll call it quits for now.” He stood up and stretched his tense shoulders. Brody and Aiden got up to help Dane put away his tools. They’d stayed, watching in silent fascination as Dane worked. 

“After lunch I have some orders I have to work on, but the next couple days I should be free to focus on this prism.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

True to his word once Dane had finished what was needed he spent every available moment on the prism. Slowly but steadily his progress showed. It took two more days to finish clearing the large and small spokes. From there Dane took to chipping away at the face of the prism. 

Though the prism had continued “helping” the metal come off, there seemed to be an increased fervor in its efforts. Pieces fell away in larger chips and flashes of rainbow-colored light would emit after each stroke. Between the strips cleared Dane could see something sparkle within the prism itself. Finally, on the fourth morning after the prism’s arrival, every piece of metal coating had been removed. Dane stood back with the boys to admire the sight. 

The prism stood upright of its own accord; another novelty that had come as its crust fell away. The crystal as a whole was a fierce white, but the smaller triangles had proven to be different colors- red, blue, white, gold, pink and yellow. Yet it was the object inside the prism that held their attention. 

A large throwing star stared proudly back. Six miniaturized styles of throwing stars were set in a silver border that circled the large star, the same colors as the triangular spikes. Bands of gold created an inner circle with a four-pronged engraved star. In the background flames in the six colors ran horizontally along the face. 

Brody was the first to break the silence. “Wow that’s amazing! What do you think it is?” Dane could only shrug his shoulders before Brody continued. “And how did it get in there? You didn’t even scratch it when you scraped off the metal so was it put in when the crystal was being made? But how was the crystal made? It’s super hard but someone had to have carved it into that shape...?” 

Brody took a breath to continue but Dane held up his hand. Aiden gave an internal sigh of relief. 

“Those are all good questions, but I can’t really answer them.” He gave a half smile. “Obviously someone out there has better equipment than I have here.”

“I wonder how far “out there” this star came from.” Aiden didn’t realize he had spoken out loud until he saw both Brody and Dane look at him. He rubbed his arms to fight growing goosebumps. “I mean you said, dad, that there was something that seemed “alien” about it. Do you think it could really be?” 

Dane gave a half shrug. “I can’t say.” At that moment the star began to glow brightly. 

“Uh dad what’s it doing?!” Brody scooted further away. 

“I don’t know.” Dane frowned. “But so far it hasn’t done anything to harm us. If anything, it’s been helpful.”

Then, though logic would dictate otherwise, Dane reached out his hand. Aiden and Brody watched in awe as the prism face rippled. Slowly Dane’s hand passed through the surface. Grasping the star, he pulled it out. Instantly the crystal solidified. The three of them stared at the star for a long minute. 

Aiden blinked hard. “Well _that_ happened.” 


	3. Trajectory Shift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes a lot of elements from a scene in S1E1, but I tweaked/added a few things so hopefully it doesn't feel like you're reading a direct print out of the show...

(August 23, 2009)

Clang! Clang! Clang! 

Brody went through his forms in the front yard to the sound of Dane’s hammer in the barn. Moving through his motions Brody welcomed the relief a soft breeze offered. The afternoon sun shone cheerily above causing Brody to regret wearing his black long sleeve gi.

Since Dane had pulled out the star from the prism Brody lost some of his interest in Dane’s work. Not that the prism wasn’t cool, but nothing new was happening. The star was, at this point, just an ornate artifact. The prism, other than keeping itself upright, hadn’t moved or made a sound in days. Aiden, however, remained by Dane’s side whenever he worked with the metal from the prism, which they had affectionately come to call ninja steel. Currently Dane was working on casting throwing stars to test the metal’s malleability. 

To keep himself busy while they worked, Brody had taken to increasing his training time the last couple days. Nothing overly strenuous, but there was a nagging feeling inside that he couldn’t shake. Something within him saying that he needed to be better, and soon. Brody shook his head. It never hurt to push himself to be the best he could be. 

So focused on his practice Brody didn’t hear a low pitched hum come from the trees behind the property. He also didn’t notice the large figures stalking toward him. A loud crunch from behind finally alerted him that he wasn’t alone. 

Brody whipped around and for a moment was thoroughly confused. It looked like three cosplayers had gotten lost on their way to a convention. The man(?) closest to him wore a brown tunic overlaid with blue and red armor. Neon yellow eyes set close together on his elongated face. A blue strip running from his chin to his forehead accented their unnatural color. Topping it off were two horns projecting off his head in front of a shock of white hair. 

Next to him was a more feminine figure in a large yellow kimono lined with white fur. Shoulder pads attached to the dress were shaped like tigers and two long paws jutted out from them to frame her head. Her white face resembled that of a cat’s too, complete with ears pointing off the top of her head. Behind them green hair was tied in a high bun. 

Most terrifying, however, was the monster that came last, standing a good head taller than the other two and twice as wide. Covered in gold armor interlaid with navy leather, it was apparent this man was used to commanding attention. His face reminded Brody of a bull’s, but he had two large antler like projections coming off his head adding to his already fearsome height. He carried a short staff with a long blade attached. Thanks to Dane’s instruction in martial arts history, Brody recognized it at a naginata, a weapon used by the samurai of old. 

Brody took this all in within the span of several seconds. It took him a few more to realize they were coming straight for him. Brody turned to run but a huge hand grabbed his arm before he was able to go even five steps. 

“Let me go! Let me go!” Brody shouted as he pulled against the mountain man’s grip. Cold chuckles met his demand and the grip on his arm tightened even more.

“Where is the Ninja Nexus Prism and Star? Our scanners placed it here.”

Brody kicked at the man trying to get him to loosen his grip. Kicking at his armored legs only served to annoy the brute and bruise Brody’s toes. 

“No more games, where is the Nexus Star?” He shook Brody as he asked. 

“I don’t know any Nexus anything. Let me go!” 

Brody struggled harder. The giant simply pulled Brody tighter against himself restricting Brody's movements. As the roar of adrenaline quickly became replaced with the freezing effects of fear, Brody realized the banging of the hammer had stopped. Gathering in as much air as he could he turned towards the barn and shouted for his father and brother. 

At his yell the two other attackers slowly flanked the yard toward the barn. Both were intimidating figures but with the Nexus Prism on the line they weren’t taking any chances with who the yell would bring. 

Dane appeared at the barn door several long seconds later, katana in hand. Even from halfway across the yard Brody could see the tightness in Dane’s features and the clenching of his jaw. He walked forward, every deliberate step showing he was a man accustomed to facing battles head on. 

“Let Brody go.” Dane’s voice was steady but there was a fire in his eyes that Brody had never seen before- and hoped to never see again. 

Unexpectedly the giant compiled and let loose his death grip. “It makes no difference, you’re surrounded.” 

The slightly smaller monsters came in from the sides blocking alternate escape routes. Brody wasted no time and ran to his father, clinging to him in a way he hadn’t since he was younger. 

“We know the Ninja Nexus Prism is here. Give us that and the Nexus Star.”

Dane half crouched in a ready stance. “I don’t know who you are, but this _Nexus_ Star is not going with you.” 

The giant laughed humorlessly and stepped forward. “I’ve been tracking the Prism and Star for too many years to let some human stand in my way.” 

Before Dane could respond the air around his left hand thickened and the Nexus Star materialized. Years of training kept Dane from dropping his guard as the Star’s appearance was high on his was-not-expecting-this list. 

The monster’s mouth set in a grim line as he eyed his desired prize. “Give me the Star and I will let you both live.” 

Dane shifted sideways so Brody was completely blocked from the monster’s view. He stayed quiet as he tried to think through the best way to get out of the situation. Three against one were odds he’d faced before, but they’d already shown themselves ruthless enough to use Brody as a hostage. Keeping him out of their reach was his number one priority. 

Brody looked up at his Dad then glanced back at the star. In the couple days that they’d housed the prism, and by extension the star, it had shown to have otherworldly qualities but nothing so powerful that someone wants to kill over. There had to be something they hadn't seen yet. Something that would cause this alien to track it to their backyard. This being was dangerous and if he wanted the Star so badly there had to be a reason. He stepped forward next to Dane. 

“You can’t give it to him Dad.”

Dane’s gaze flicked from the monster, to Brody, to the Star then back to the monster. In that moment Brody saw an emotion he didn’t recognize in his dad’s eyes- fear. Not for himself, but for Brody. Yet there had been another glint too, one of pride. 

Before he could respond the monster’s patience snapped. “You have no choice!” Lifting his naginata a bolt of lightning shot from its tip towards them. 

Dane dropped his katana and shoved Brody down out of the way. Simultaneously he brought up the Star as a meager shield between himself and the blast. Bright, pulsing light flared through the yard upon contact leaving everyone momentarily blinded. Brody’s stomach turned as he wondered if the blast had vaporized Dane. 

Blinking hard to get rid of the dots in his vision Brody looked up to see his dad still standing. More than that the Star’s energy wrapped around Dane transforming his simple work clothes into a flexible red and black suit. A helmet hid his face and a new longsword replaced his fallen katana. Brody gaped in awe.

“So the legends are true.” The cat woman’s voice was soft, almost reverent. “He’s become a power ranger!” 

“I don’t care what he’s become. That star is mine!” The monster raised his naginata again and charged at Dane.

Dane sprang forward jumping higher and moving faster than he ever had before. Their blades clashed furiously. Dane pulled back and rolled to the side before bringing his blade up to strike the man’s side. It found its mark, but the gold armor absorbed most of the blow. The monster retaliated with a devastating swing. Dane flipped backward just missing being skewered. 

Brody watched with awe from where he’d fallen. He’d seen his dad fight before, but this was a whole new level of finesse. As he watched he failed to notice the blue and red monster getting closer. Rough hands grabbed Brody’s arm and jerked him to his feet, hauling him in the direction of the fight. Brody watched his father kick the giant in the chest sending him sprawling his blade falling to the side.

“Dad! Dad!” Brody yelled trying to get his attention. 

Dane turned at the sound of Brody’s voice to see him being held again. “Let go of my son!” He charged toward them.

His focus solely on getting to Brody, Dane didn’t see his downed opponent grasping his staff. Brody had no time to shout a warning before a blast hit Dane square in the back. The force sent him flying. Just before he hit the ground red light flashed, taking the red suit and sword with it. The star manifested again and fell from Dane’s hand landing just out of arm's reach. Breath stolen from the force of the fall Dane struggled to pull himself up. Golden encased legs barred his vision and a clawed hand grasped the star. 

“At long last the Nexus Star is mine!” 

The monster held the star aloft grinning wickedly. Brody watched in horror as red light crept from the Star washing over the giant’s hand and up his arm. Where the light passed the armor turned a dark gray, like living stone. 

“Invincibility will now be mine!”

Enraptured in his moment of triumph the monster and his minions missed Dane pulling himself to his knees while reaching for his sword. 

**“** That star came to me so I could protect it... from evil like you!” A winded Dane shouted. 

Brody watched frozen as his father grasped his katana. Moving almost too quickly for the eye to follow Dane launched himself at the monster. His aim true, the katana pierced the star. BOOOM! Dirt, grass and rocks exploded outward. Unable to keep their balance against such an onslaught, Brody and the monsters were thrown to the ground. 

Ears ringing and head spinning, Brody slowly pushed himself upright and away from his captor. The monsters were still down for the count but that wasn’t what drew Brody’s eye. 

A crater lay where Brody’s dad had stood only moments before. Sparkles began to puncture air as the dust slowly settled. There, standing upright in all its glory, was the prism. 

“Dad? Dad!” Brody croaked out. 

There was no answer. Shakily Brody stood up and moved toward the prism. Somehow the single star had once again been captured inside the prism’s face. Cracks spread throughout the star and in a flash of rainbow-colored light it split into six pieces. Blinking hard against the sudden visual assault Brody looked back to the prism. 

The six shards were no longer broken and misshapen. Shining almost as brilliantly as the crystal prism itself, six individual power stars stared back at Brody. Captivated by the sight Brody slowly reached towards the prism. 

“Out of my way!” A cold voice, accompanied by a shove that sent Brody sprawling, broke him out of his reverie. 

Mentally snapped back to where he was, fear began to course through him. Fear, and the sudden realization that he still didn’t see his dad. _‘The explosion... Did...did it kill dad?_ ’ Unwelcome tears began to pool as he sat in disbelief. 

“Arghhh!” The giant monster bellowed, breaking Brody out of his thoughts. 

Looking up he saw the monster strike the prism again and again with his staff, but it didn’t even scuff the crystal. The monster roared again in frustration. 

Huffing he turned to his minions, “Odius grab the crystal. We’ll figure how to get it out on the ship.” His hard gaze landed back on Brody. “Ripcon take the brat to the ship and put him in chains!” 

Brody jerked in shock. Scrambling to his feet, fear making his stomach clench, he took a step back as the smaller horned figure turned in his direction. Though his adrenaline got him to his feet, fear and grief delayed his response. In two bounds the blue and red monster had Brody by the shoulders. 

“You’re Galvanax’s now rat bait.” He snarled, contempt heavy in his tone. 

Panicking Brody struggled against the monsters grip even though the tiny functioning part of his brain argued that his slight, eight-year-old frame was no match for the hulking brute that held him. That voice proved to be right as the monster laughed at Brody’s efforts. Carelessly he grabbed Brody’s torso and slung him over his shoulder. 

‘No! This can’t be happening!’ Brody tried to pull himself off, but he had even less of a vantage point to do that from where he started. Looking up, the barn beside their house caught his attention. Remembering his brother for the first time since the attack happened Brody held on to a tiny pin prick of hope that he’d be able to help. 

Gathering in a deep breath he shouted as loud as he could, “Aiden! Aiden!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Aiden! Aiden!” 

Brody’s anguished cry could just be heard through the barn walls serving as Aiden’s refuge. Clutching a box containing the prism’s steel that Dane had given him to hold, Aiden watched from a side facing window. He had peered out in time to see a red and blue monster sling Brody onto his shoulder and stalk towards the woods. ‘ _Where’s dad?! He said he would save Brody_.’ 

The weight of the ninja steel in his arms and his dad’s wish for him to stay hidden conflicted greatly with his desire to help his brother. _‘But if dad couldn’t stop them...’_ Aiden shook his head, he couldn’t leave his brother alone. 

Tossing the box of ninja steel behind some tools he tried to calm his heart rate and ran out of the garage... just in time to see a bright flash consume the monsters, the prism, and his last remaining family member. 

“No!” Aiden’s scream pierced the now quiet yard. 

He ran into the woods in the direction they’d disappeared. Maybe it had just been a trick of the light to make it look like they were gone. Maybe he could find them and if nothing else he and Brody would be together, even if that meant they were both captives. Maybe he would wake up soon to find this all to be a cruel nightmare. 

He ran through the trees calling for Brody until his breath came in sharp gasps and his side pinched. Slowing to try and catch a breath the enormity of what just happened slammed into him causing his legs to give out. Knees sinking into the soft mud Aiden couldn’t stop the sobs that racked his body. 

How long he crouched there he didn’t know, but when his tears were spent the trees’ shadows had lengthened considerably. Hugging his arms to his chest Aiden rocked back onto his heels. _‘What am I going to do now?’_


	4. New Realities

Brody's hope vanished with the blinding light. Eyes smarting, Brody looked around and gasped aloud. Though he had been in his yard only seconds ago he was nowhere near home now. Still hanging over Ripcon's shoulder he had a sideways view of what appeared to be a control room.

A machine ran the length of the wall segmented into four linear parts, stopping at waist height. Dials, buttons and levers were scattered along the surface. Cords emanating from the machine connected to a screen that was half the size of the remaining wall, with four smaller screens flanking the large one, two on each side.

As Brody watched, images of the Nexus Prism flashed on screen while the smaller screens ran a continuous scroll of code. Monitoring the panel were strange blue and gray checkered humanoids. One turned and Brody's breath hitched. It had no face, just a smooth metal surface. _'Robots, those are robots!'_

Brody craned his head to take in more of his surroundings. Behind the controls a grey and yellow dais lay with a large seat allowing for a less obstructed view of the screens. Large vaulted doors were built into the two walls not occupied with equipment. Harsh blue and white lights alternated down the halls. However it was a small porthole window to the side of the dais that caught Brody's attention.

Though it shouldn't be possible, the blue and green hues of Earth lay far, far below him. Much closer was the cold darkness of space, a never-ending void that Brody could feel swallowing him even as he stared at it. _'This can't be right! This has to be some nightmare!'_ The ache in his side and heart gave a throbbing contradiction.

"Take him to the prison deck. And make sure he knows his life now belongs to me." The hard voice of Galvanax cut a deeper notch into Brody's heart.

"As you say sir!" Ripcon turned, still carrying the young boy, and left the room.

Deeper and deeper into the ship he descended. The hallways all looked the same and even if Brody's view wasn't sideways he knew he would still be utterly lost. Silent minutes dragged by, the monotony broken only by the occasional robot giving Ripcon a wide berth. Eventually Ripcon stopped at a door near a flight of stairs.

"Trust me rat bait, this is something I'll enjoy." He dropped Brody roughly to the floor.

Stunned by the fall he lay still for several seconds as Ripcon opened up the door. A metallic clinking came from inside. Eyes widening in fear, Brody scooted back as Ripcon stalked towards him with two sets of shackles. Not that it did much good.

Ripcon hauled Brody up by his collar and pinned him with his back against the wall. With a sadistic smile Ripcon fastened them securely around Brody's wrists and ankles. Their weight and awkward angle immediately began to pull at Brody's shoulders.

"Move it slave!"

Easier said than done. The slack between the fetters was only about a foot. Tentatively, Brody approached the stairs. He stepped down only to have his foot catch against the chain. A quick grasp from Ripcon saved him from a nasty fall.

"Can you not even walk right?" Ripcon taunted as he dragged Brody down the steps by his arm. Brody felt heat rise in his face.

Ripcon stopped at the bottom of the steps, jerking Brody to face him. "Your dad was a ninja and you haven't even mastered the basics of walking."

Something in Brody snapped. "Leave him out of this!" He shouted, throwing himself at Ripcon.

Unprepared for the attack Ripcon stumbled back against the stairs. Losing his balance he landed hard on his backside. His hand remained locked on Brody's arm, causing Brody to fall landing sideways on the metal steps. Pain shot through his right hip and elbow, but he managed to catch himself before hitting his head. The look of fury on Ripcon's face almost made him wish he had.

"You little...!" Ripcon hauled Brody to his feet and socked him in the gut.

Brody fell to his knees gasping for air. So focused on getting more oxygen in he failed to see Ripcon's second swing. Stars exploded in his vision and he landed hard on his back. Ripcon's voice swelled above him but the ringing in his ears drowned out the words. Which in hindsight was probably a good thing.

His vision started to clear as three robots came rushing down the stairs. Two grabbed Ripcon and pulled him away while the third quickly lifted Brody under his arms and dragged him down the hall. Blurry forms of white doors passed by. Doors with... bars? The synchronized pounding in his head and stomach commanded too much attention to think about the doors' meaning. Brody closed his eyes and tried to fight unconsciousness.

About halfway down the hall the robot stopped in front of a door. Unlocking it, he pulled Brody inside a little room. With one quick motion it set Brody down heedless of his injuries. It left the room without a backward glance. The dim light bulb sputtered as the door slammed behind him.

It was too much for Brody. He was now alone, in space, in pain and in chains. Tears came fast and hot. _'This has to be some nightmare.'_ He curled into a fetal position shaking until the pain and exhaustion allowed him to fall into a fitful sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Several flights above the prison hold Ripcon stormed into the control room. Galvanax sat in his chair rewatching the bruising of Ripcon's pride in crystal clear HD. A feminine chuckle echoed through the room announcing Odius's presence behind Galvanax.

"What do you want with the boy?" Ripcon spat when Galvanax finally acknowledged his presence.

"Isn't it enough that your leader commands it?" There was a dangerous note in Galvanax's voice.

Dialing back his anger Ripcon continued in a more controlled tone. "What I meant is that child is too small to do any good. Not that we don't have uses for slaves, but that rat bait is too young and scrawny to do anything the kudabots can't do." Contempt laced his words.

Galvanax waved away Ripcon's statements. "His father was, apparently, a man of some renowned. That and his defiance to do my bidding makes for poetic justice that his son should spend the rest of his life as my slave. Both the boy and the prism show that there is no hope in defying me."

"You may have the Prism, but you still do not have the Nexus Star." Odius pointed out.

Galvanax was unconcerned. "With it now in my grasp it is only a matter of time before the power of the Nexus Star is mine."

Odius scoffed. "You saw that the prism wasn't even scratched from your attempt to get the Star. What makes you think you'll be able to get it now?"

"Do you doubt my power?"

Exploding out of his chair Galvanax stalked in front of Odius. Ripcon had a hard time containing his glee that it was Odius for once getting the full vent of Galvanax's wrath.

She faced him calmly. "No, I doubt the Prism's weakness. From what we've seen only that human has been able to reach through the Prism to the Star."

"What's your point?"

"My _point_ is we have his son. If the ninja was able to reach into the prism maybe it will deem the boy worthy too."

Galvanax stilled, Odius's words rolled around in his mind. "I do think you've just shown why I keep you around."

Odius dipped her head. "Thank you, sir." Her short tone belied the sincerity of her words.

"Tomorrow the universe will tremble before me!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sky was tinged pink and gold by the time Aiden crept back home. Having kept to the outskirts of the property for the better part of the evening he watched as everything remained silent. ' _As silent as a tomb_.' Aiden tried to shove that thought away while walking into the barn, but it wouldn't be deterred.

Either the monsters hadn't noticed that Brody shouted another name besides dad, or they didn't care. They had gotten what they came for. Well most of it.

In the dim light Aiden found the discarded container of ninja steel where he'd thrown it. Pieces of metal lay scattered on the ground. He carefully picked them up and held the tin close to his chest. The dying light of the forge reflected in something on the table. The throwing stars Dane made that afternoon sat quietly, waiting for use.

Aiden set the steel down and picked up the molds. The heat was gone leaving a permeating coldness. Carefully breaking them out of the mold as he'd seen Dane do so many times, he took in Dane's creation. _'His last project.'_ Aiden worked hard to fight his growing nausea. His thoughts cynically understood the fact that Dane and Brody were gone, but his heart still couldn't believe it.

A sharp pain flared in his hand. Drops of crimson blood trickled across the star brought out by his unconsciously tightened grip. Hand shaking Aiden quickly set the star down, thankful Dane hadn't gotten around to sharpening the already fine edges.

He glanced at his palm and instantly regretted it. The sight of his blood, small as it may be, pushed his already nauseated stomach over the edge. Racing to the door he was just able to make it outside before emptying the meager contents of his stomach onto the grass.

Aiden swiped his uninjured hand across his mouth and tried to ignore the acidic taste. Unsteadily he made his way back into the barn and grabbed the tin, carefully placing the three stars on top. He then slowly headed toward the house. Everything just as it had been that morning as if the house was waiting for the three occupants to continue with their daily lives.

_'Only it'll never be the same again.'_ Aiden's stomach twisted. It took several deep breaths to avoid dry heaving. A lone roll of paper towel sat on the counter and Aiden ripped a couple pieces off, pressing them to his cuts.

Trying to ignore the emptiness, Aiden rushed to his room and slammed the door behind him. He stashed the ninja steel under his bed before climbing on it and hugging his pillow to his chest. _'What am I going to do now?'_ Somehow, he wasn't sure when, sleep finally took him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Aiden could never get tired of watching Dane work in the forge. The magic of taking a lump of metal and forming it into a masterpiece held him. Dane's latest creations, three shimmering throwing stars made from the ninja steel, were set off to the side to cool in their molds. Hammer in hand Dane walked to the table to fix some nails while they waited on the stars._ _The_ _pile of nails grew_ _methodically_ _at his side._

_Dane paused in his work and wiped sweat from his forehead. Setting down the hammer he took a quick drink of water. As he was about to continue Aiden heard muffled shouting from outside. He ran to a window and saw three large, weirdly dressed people surrounding Brody._

_"Dad! Look, Brody!" His voice cracked._

_Dane took one glance and quickly swept any remaining bits of the ninja steel into a coffee tin._

_"Dad what are we going to do? They have Brody! What do they want? Is he going...?"_

_"Aiden Levi." Dane's st_ _eady_ _voice cut through his questions._

_"I don't have time to explain but I've come across some cryptic information about the prism and star. There's a power to it that no one understands. You have to keep this steel hidden!" Dane thrust the tin into Aiden's hands and took him by the shoulders. "Promise me you'll hide it, and you stay hidden too, like a ninja, until I get back." He wrapped his son in a tight embrace. "I love you son."_

_"I promise. I love you too dad." Aiden's voice was barely above a whisper_

_"Dad! Aiden!" Brody's terrified shout cut through the walls of the barn._

_Grabbing his katana off a nearby shelf_ _,_ _Dane left Aiden with one final glance before the door shut behind him._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aiden woke up in a cold sweat. The events from the day before replaying in his mind. Not even his dreams would allow him rest. He shook and the darkness of the room squeezed into his mind. To his right the clock read 4:30. Aiden sat up and looked out the window.

Wind rustled through the trees. Creaks and groans shifted through the house. Living in an old farmhouse this wasn't an uncommon occurrence, but tonight each was a potential monster coming back for him.

There was no distraction now from his haunting thoughts. _'I don't have a phone, I can't drive, we don't really have any close family or friends... What am I supposed to do now?'_ Hot tears pricked the corners of his eyes. In all his lessons with Dane they'd never covered what to do in an alien abduction. There was no way the police would believe him. Would they shut him away? Would they blame Dane for the disappearances?

_'Dad said I had to keep the steel safe. How can I do that? They obviously have tech we don't if they can teleport. What if they have scanners that can find the steel? And then me? Dad said stay hidden. They know this place. They may come back for it someday...'_ A hard resolve settled in Aiden's mind. _'I have to leave.'_


	5. Adapting

(August 24, 2009)

The banging of his cell door against the wall jerked Brody awake. Blearily he looked up to see Ripcon looming over him. Fear quickly chased away any remaining drowsiness. He shrank back against the wall in a futile effort to give himself some space.

Ripcon snarled something but his words were unintelligible. He repeated the phrase and grabbed Brody by the arm, hauling him out of the room. The fetters on his ankles didn't allow for him to keep pace with Ripcon so he ended up being half dragged along. Brody bit back a whimper. What was going to happen now? And why couldn't he understand what was being said? Ripcon's grating voice rumbled above him and Brody flinched.

"P-please! I don't know what you want!"

The grip on Brody's arm suddenly loosened considerably. Brody stumbled forward, barely catching himself from falling.

"Please." He whimpered out again, cringing under Ripcon's suspicious gaze.

Ripcon let out a frustrated grunt and started back down the hall, his grip tightening again on Brody. Brody let out a small squeak of fear that went ignored. More halls passed. There was no telling if they were the same ones he'd been through a day before. Had it only been a day? Already it seemed like he'd been on the ship for an eternity.

Ripcon yanked him to a stop near an arched doorway and typed on a keypad on the wall. A small hatch popped open, making Brody jump. Snatching something from inside Ripcon spun Brody so he was perpendicular to Ripcon's body. Brody got a glimpse of metal before Ripcon jabbed the thing into the skin behind his left ear. Yelping in surprise more than pain Brody stumbled back through the open doorway. Unable to catch his balance he fell hard onto his hands and knees.

"The boy as you requested." Brody whipped his head up toward Ripcon, his words once again in English.

Brody braced himself on his knees and reached his bound hands up to find a small circular device stuck just above his neck. Leather squeaked breaking Brody's confused tactile exploration. Slowly he lifted his eyes.

Galvanax stared down at Brody in the smug confidence of one who has all the power and knows it.

"That is the rightful position of a slave."

His perch on the raised dais gave him a front row seat to the boy's humiliation. The bruises on Brody's face and peeking out from under his disheveled shirt only accented the effect. Brody had no idea what was going on but he gritted his teeth and defiantly shoved himself to his feet.

"You have spirit." Galvanax sounded mildly amused. "But that won't get you far here." Brody said nothing.

Unperturbed Galvanax gestured to his side. His attention having been focused on Galvanax, Brody now saw the prism sitting next to Galvanax's chair with Odius standing on the far side.

Propped upright on a flatbed cart, the prism seemed to have lost some of its shine. In the week it had been at the Romero's house Brody had never seen it so still. There was no soft humming, no subtle movement, it wasn't even holding itself upright. It might have been his imagination, but its crystalline surface appeared duller. Even though Brody now wished the prism had never landed in his yard, a pang still went through him at the prism's lack of life.

"Your father was the first one in centuries to be able to pull out the Nexus Star. Why the prism would choose a puny human is beyond me. However, it may be the prism will let you get the stars since it let your father. Pull them out."

Brody shook at both the mention of his father and the implication of what Galvanax wanted. _'I can't. They said he'll be unstoppable. A ninja doesn't give in.'_

"N-no. I-I won't." Brody hated the stutter that tumbled out with his words.

"You are now my slave and you will do what I command!" Galvanax roared.

"No." It was a whisper but it came out just the same.

"Ripcon! Show him what happens when my slaves won't obey."

Brody flinched at the bellow. He didn't know what Galvanax would do, but he couldn't let Galvanax achieve invincibility, at least not by his hand. A crackle came from behind him. Before he could turn fire exploded through his body. Yelling in pain and shock Brody collapsed. Black spots filled his vision and his ears rang.

It was several long minutes before the pain subsided enough for him to properly catch his breath. Even then everything still hurt, especially his wrists where the metal chains had amplified the electricity's effect against his skin. A quick glance behind him showed one of the weird blue robots with an electrified spear standing next to Ripcon, while another stood near the doorway.

"I do not make requests _slave_." Galvanax spat. "Get the stars for me!"

Brody sat on the ground, his brain sluggishly processing Galvanax's words. His response not quick enough Galvanax motioned to the robot. It moved toward the boy, spear extended.

Fear of another shock gave Brody the strength to stand. He backed away from the robot, inadvertently moving in the direction of the prism. _'He can't get them, he can't! But they'll keep shocking me. So far no one other than dad's been able to reach inside...'_ Outwardly appearing to give in Brody turned towards the prism.

Too quietly for those surrounding him to hear Brody whispered, "I know you let dad take the star out. I don't know if you'd let me or not, but please, _please_ don't let me get through." The sharp hiss of electricity behind him caused Brody to jump.

"Do it now slave!" Galvanax's voice left no room for argument.

Slowly Brody reached out towards the crystal. An inch away he paused, held his breath, and closed the distance.

A cool smooth surface greeted his fingers. Limbs shaking with relief Brody leaned against the crystal with both hands planted on the covering. Even Galvanax couldn't deny that the crystal was not opening for the boy.

Growling in frustration he motioned the robots toward Brody. "Take him back to his cell."

None too gently the robots yanked Brody away from the prism. Staring at it he could have sworn he saw the red star glow momentarily. As the robots dragged him through the halls of the ship his mind was whirling. ' _Is it possible it heard me? What could the light mean? If it was a light...'_ He shook his head.

The important thing was, for the moment, the stars were still safely out of Galvanax's reach.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as the boy was out of the room Galvanax let out an angered growl. "So much for your great idea Odius."

She shrugged. "Yet we know _he_ can't reach in. There's no threat of him bonding with the stars and stealing your prize."

"As if I'd ever let him near the Prism again."

"Noted, but if he were to somehow find himself near it there's nothing he can do. Especially with him as small as he is."

"As small as he is...." Galvanax's voice trailed off. A thin smile crept across his face. "I think I know how he can best serve this ship."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Down in the cell blocks Brody was shoved to the floor, the impact jarring his battered body. He lay still as the door slammed shut behind the guards, the sound echoing for several seconds. Gingerly pulling himself upright, Brody hugged his knees to his chest and looked around. Last night he'd been too physically and emotionally drained to pay much attention to his cell and what he saw didn't exactly lift his spirits.

The initial assessment that it was a little room still held, it wasn't even a third of the size of his bedroom on Earth. Lengthwise the gray walls allowed room to lay down with about two feet to spare, but Brody figured he could reach out and touch both side walls at the same time if his hands were free.

An old blanketed mat and pillow he hadn't noticed the night before were tossed in the corner. A bucket sat in the opposite corner. Brody tried not to think about what that was for.

His stomach growled loudly, a painful reminder that he hadn't eaten anything since lunch the day before. Though without the sun's presence it was hard to tell exactly how much time had passed. Brody pushed against his stomach trying to relieve some of the pangs. It didn't really help but it was something to do.

_'What's going to happen to me now? Are they just going to leave me here to waste away or come up with something for me to do?'_ Brody tried to rub the goosebumps rising on his arms but the clinking chains didn't allow the movement. He stared at the cuffs, their weight pressing into his mind that he was now _owned_ by someone else.

Brody squeezed his eyes shut trying to fight the tears threatening to fall. _'Dad what am I supposed to do? How... How do I go from here? I have nothing except my gi. I'm in space...'_ Brody's thoughts began to spiral. The door in front of him wavered and the throb of his heartbeat pounded in Brody's ears. Drawing in even a single breath required every ounce of energy he possessed.

Though unsubmerged Brody felt himself drowning. There was no lifesaver to hold, no anchor to keep him steady. He was completely and utterly alone. In that moment Brody half wondered if he would die alone right there.

Inexplicably in his panicked state a memory stirred of the first time Brody had the wind knocked out of him while sparring. Dane knelt over him as Brody struggled for air.

"Focus on me Brody. Breathe in and out. In and out." Dane commanded.

_'In and out. In and out.'_ The words cut into his mind. Brody grasped them with the little mental strength he had left. _'In and out. In and out.'_

Slowly the world stopped turning. Brody found himself laying on his back covered in sweat. He tried to sit up but the simple movement made his head swim. Allowing his head to fall back Brody stared at the ceiling. _'In and out. One breath at a time.'_

When Brody could no longer hear his heartbeat he tried to sit up again. This time he made it. _'One breath at a time, one day at a time.'_ Brody clenched his jaw, he would _not_ give in to despair. He looked at his cuffs again. Anger replaced the earlier feeling of helplessness. He had a sudden burst of inspiration.

Taking the edge of his cuff he scraped it against the wall until a little line showed. _'Galvanax may have me here, but he won't make me forget where I'm from. Not if I can help it.'_


	6. Adapting

(August 24, 2009)

Aiden had long since given up on attempting to fall back asleep. He stared out the window as dawn started to break. Streaks of gold were punctured by blood red patches of sky. _'Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.'_ Aiden thought grimly. True he was no sailor on the high seas, but it was an ominous display after yesterday's events.

Slowly Aiden climbed off his bed and retrieved the ninja steel. Setting it gently on his desk, he walked over to his closet. He would have to figure out what to take. That task would be helped by the family's many camping outings over the years, but the thought of possibly never returning made it a sobering task.

_'Though California summers are hot, winter nights are cold. So I need sweatshirts and shorts.'_ A small pile of clothes grew at Aiden's feet. _'Sleeping bag is a must, a tent would be good, but I don't know if I can carry that...'_

Clothes taken care of, Aiden looked around his room. Everything he saw had a story, whether it was his comforter, clock or stuffed dragon discreetly placed between his bed and wall. So many memories but so much to leave behind. Just taking what he needed would probably prove difficult.

Clenching his jaw Aiden walked slowly out of his room toward Dane's. He had a camping backpack in his room that was bigger than any of Aiden's. A barred pouch on the outside could hold a tightly packed sleeping bag but could double as a seat once the bag was removed.

Aiden hesitated before opening Dane's door. His dad should be in there just getting ready to start the day. Opening the door, the dark and silent interior stared back at him. Fighting hard against tears Aiden walked quickly to the closet, ignoring the empty bed as best he could. How could it only have been a week ago that he and Brody tried to surprise Dane on that very bed?

Shaking his head Aiden tried to focus. Inside the closet the backpack hung ready on the wall, waiting for a new Romero adventure. _'But this time it's just me.'_

One of Dane's favorite leather jackets hung next to it. After a moment of hesitation Aiden grabbed that and one of Dane's training gis. Neither were completely necessary to take but it was one more piece to remember Dane by. _'They can squish.'_ Aiden thought determinedly, slinging the bag over his shoulder.

Another item of importance he made a point to grab was a multi-tooled pocketknife. Aiden carefully pulled it out from its resting place in the dresser drawer. The warm brown wood of the handle was nearly four inches long with a small four-pointed star carved into the base. Besides two knife blades, one serrated, it held a screwdriver, scissors, a can opener, and -at a personal request from Dane- a flint striker for a strip of magnesium housed in a detachable slot of the handle.

Gently rubbing the wood between his fingers Aiden left Dane's room, closing the door behind him. Returning to his room Aiden sat on the floor by his clothes. One item after another was tightly rolled and placed into the backpack. Even with trying to pack the minimum amount necessary, the bag was about three quarters full and other than the knife Aiden still had all non-clothing items to round up and pack. _'One thing at a time...'_ He told himself.

Bringing the backpack downstairs Aiden set it on the table as he went to collect other needed items. A couple bars of soap, two packages of wipes, boxes of matches, a flashlight with extra batteries, a camp pot with utensils, and a sleeping bag soon piled up. The next step was food. Running upstairs for his own backpack, Aiden then went down to the pantry. All the granola bars, trail mix packets, nuts, dry noodles, cereal and crackers he could grab were stuffed into the bag. A few cans of soup and beans were added but not many fit in the bag before its weight became an issue. Food taken care of Aiden turned his attention to another necessity.

Tucked in a cupboard above the sink was an unassuming ceramic jar. Inside was money that Dane, and occasionally the boys, added to when they had the chance. A rainy-day fund Dane called it. Whatever that meant. In any case the boys had been strictly admonished not to touch it without permission, but this definitely counted as an emergency. Bills and loose change filled the jar in no particular order. Aiden carried it to the table, figuring he'd count it later.

_'Now what am I going to do with the steel?'_ It wouldn't be practical to take it with him. Though lighter than Earth's steel it was still too heavy and bulky for his already bursting packs. Not to mention if someone, human or otherwise, were to go through his things the results could be disastrous. Aiden groaned in frustration. He had to find somewhere safe to hide it.

Even if they didn't have close family and friends the Romero family had lived in Summer Cove since Dane was a teenager. He was a local legend having started his martial arts career in the dojo in town. _'Maybe I could keep the steel here after all, just not at the house._ '

Dane often donated martial arts memorabilia for charity auctions and such, so if Aiden could find something suitable to hide the steel in it could sit right under the monsters' noses should they ever come back. _'As long as they don't have any tracking mechanism that could do a city-wide search.'_ Fear tempered that thought. _'But if they don't realize that or have a way to look for it as long as I'm not around they will for sure have no way to find it!'_ This his first pinprick of hope since this nightmare began, Aiden walked into Dane's workshop to look for something that would suffice.

Dane's array of weapons were out of the question. Nunchucks, bow staffs, sticks and throwing stars offered no protection to the steel and held the potential to be used for harm without any extra modifications. Clothes and bags could easily rip and added weight would be too obvious. Aiden's hope was flickering when his eyes landed on the boxes containing the many trophies and medals Dane won over the years. Dane held on to them but kept them stored neatly away not wanting to flaunt his success. There was one trophy, though, that held a special place.

Dane's first tournament win as a teenager had been a major upset against his opponent. The other young man had been undefeated on the national level for three consecutive years. It was at that tournament that Dane's love for the sport became an integral part of who he was. That had also been the place where Dane met his future wife Elena for the first time.

As a memento to that day, that trophy now sat on a bookshelf in the living room. The gold and red rectangular trophy, sporting a figurine of a man in the middle of a round kick on top, held one of Dane's favorite personal modifications. Realizing the colored neck was hollow upon receiving it, the knowledge remained in the back of his mind until his smithy skills gave him the ability to work with it.

A small button, disguised as the inside circle of the letter "A" in Dane's first name served as the trigger to open the top of the statue. Currently it was a bit of a time capsule holding pictures of the family, some old articles that Aiden's mom had clipped of Dane's achievements, and the keys to Dane and Elena's first house.

Aiden gently withdrew the contents and visually measured the space. It looked just about right. Taking the tin, he carefully poured the steel into the trophy. One of the stars fell to the side but the rest of the metal fit. Aiden picked up the star and stared at it for a long moment.

He was sorely tempted to put it with his to take bag. One more element of protection, one more piece of home. Yet if people were somehow to come across it in his possession, it wouldn't take more than a glance to realize there was something different about the metal. With a heavy sigh Aiden carefully placed it in the container and shut the top.

_'Now to figure out what to do with it.'_ It had to be somewhere that would be far enough out of reach no one could really mess with it, and secure enough that it wouldn't be moved or passed on to someone else causing Aiden to lose all accessibility.

One place eventually came to mind. The high school Dane attended while competing in that very tournament. Dane didn't win it competing under the school's name, but they wouldn't pass up displaying that trophy to honor one of their most famous graduates.

The next problem was how to get it there. Aiden had no means of mailing it and he didn't see the staff looking favorably on a random package just appearing on their steps, but he might have to do it that way. School was starting in two weeks so people had to be there occasionally now. There was thick clear plastic wrap in the barn that Dane used to wrap some of his finished orders. If he used that whoever found the trophy might be more willing to keep it at the school if they could see through the packaging before opening it.

Wrapping finished, it still didn't solve how Aiden would transport it to the high school. It was a good ten minutes from the house by car. _'I could bike. That will just take a while. If I'm planning on leaving I could drop it off then, but I can't let anyone see me. They'll have to have cameras, but if they don't know it's me, for at least a couple days, that'll give me a head start.'_

With no better idea Aiden walked back out to the barn for the plastic. Already the sun was almost directly overhead. Aiden shot a quick glance towards the area of the yard now scattered with dirt. Pressure built up behind his eyes and he looked away quickly. As he did a glint of metal came along the edges of his vision.

Freezing momentarily Aiden slowly turned and forced himself towards the mess. Buried beneath dirt and pieces of grass the tip of Dane's katana could just be seen. Aiden carefully picked it up, brushing it clean. He stared at it, vaguely aware his cheeks felt wet.

The katana seemed heavier in his hand than it ever had before. _'There's no way I can carry a sword around and not attract attention.'_ Aiden's already tattered heart broke even more. _'But there's no way I can leave it here for anyone to take or for it to rust away._

Turning back, he continued to the barn. Gently placing the sword on an unoccupied table, he rummaged around for the plastic wrap. Several shelves later he found it sitting next to the box Dane would bury from time to time. Staring at it an idea began to take root.

A picture of the boys with Dane and the trophy Aiden was using had been among those Aiden removed from inside it. Dane had never been entirely fond of that picture but Elena had insisted, saying that trophy was a symbol of the day their family started. Though it was a couple years old it was just what Aiden needed for the next part of his plan.

He could bury the box with the picture in it as a clue. No way would he forget where the steel was, but, if by some miracle that Aiden couldn't bring himself to hope for, Brody happened to return to the house he would have the first hint of where to find it. Not that Aiden could write "school" on the back of it in the off chance someone else found it, but it was a start. He could only pray that would be enough.

Balancing the plastic, katana and box in his arms Aiden walked carefully back to the house. Inside Aiden grabbed a pair of scissors and started to cut long strips of plastic. Starting with the oblong trophy Aiden did his best to wrap it so that it was completely covered. It was a crude job, but it was at least protected from any exposure to the elements. The katana wrapped much easier.

Once that was finished, Aiden flipped through the stack taken from inside the trophy for the photo. It lay heavily in his palm, a memento from another reality. When they had been a complete family. _'Now it's just me.'_ Brody's face flashed into his mind. _'Just me where our family should be.'_ Sighing heavily Aiden placed the photo in the box and sealed it in plastic.

Box in one hand and katana in the other he walked back to the barn. Near the forge Aiden buried both objects. Fighting back more tears Aiden laid his hand over the warm dirt. _'Dad, I can't do this. You should be the one here to plan and keep going. Now I'll never see you or Brody again.'_ His shoulders shook. _'I'm sorry dad. I'm sorry I couldn't help. I'm sorry I wasn't strong or brave enough to help Brody. I just hope I can protect the steel like you asked.'_

Aiden packed down the dirt. "Goodbye, dad."

He walked out of the barn, surprised to see the sun starting to set. The afternoon had already come and gone. A grumble came from his stomach reminding him he hadn't really eaten anything all day. Nerves and grief could only push his appetite away for so long.

Making his way inside Aiden trudged towards the kitchen. He opened the fridge to mostly bare shelves. A grocery trip had been planned for the upcoming weekend so there weren't many fresh food options. _'I guess that worked out. I don't have to worry about much spoiling.'_

Aiden threw a ham and cheese sandwich together and stared out the darkening dining room windows. Outside remained still and quiet. _'Every day risks_ them _or someone else coming out and finding me... and the steel._ ' Aiden frowned and picked at his bread. Just because he was physically preparing to leave didn't mean he was mentally ready. ' _One more day. Then tomorrow night...no more excuses.'_


	7. Embers

(August 25, 2009)

Brody poked at the green goop that had been slid through his door. It shuddered slightly before sliding back into place. Any disgust he had was completely overshadowed by the yawning ache in Brody's stomach. He just wasn't sure if he'd call this substance food. Though if they were going to kill him they'd probably have chosen a different method by now.

Steeling his nerves, Brody picked up the bowl and took a sip. If there had been a mirror in the room Brody would have been able to see his face turn a shade of green that rivaled the contents of the bowl. He swallowed as best he could while fighting a gag.

His stomach had a hard time figuring if it was glad to have something in it, or if it wanted to eject it. Several deep breaths later Brody was fairly confident he wasn't going to puke. Knowing what to expect almost made the thought of his next sip worse. _'Come on. You have to eat.'_ Unless he wanted to starve, which after an excruciating day and a half of nothing did not have any appeal, there was no other option.

Taking a deep breath Brody downed the contents of the bowl. Hand flying up to his mouth Brody tried to encourage the liquid to stay down. To his relief it did. Brody sipped slowly from the cup that had accompanied the bowl. He wanted to guzzle the water but there was no telling when the guards would give him more.

After pushing the bowl towards the door Brody scooted toward the back of his cell. It was only a few minutes before a robot looked through the window. With a click the door swung open, squeaking on its hinges. Brody watched warily as the robot grabbed the bowl. It left without acknowledging the boy's presence.

The brief moment the door was open fanned a hunger in Brody that was far deeper than his stomach had experienced the last couple days. Freedom. Something as simple as being able to leave a room when he wanted was a luxury he had never appreciated until now.

Sighing Brody turned and ran a finger on the wall next to him. Two tick marks stood out white against the dull gray. _'Two. That's all it is. But it's two days too many.'_ Brody glared at the wall, letting it take the full brunt of his wrath. It couldn't retaliate, unlike Ripcon. Brody's eye was still swollen, but the pain in his ribs had faded enough that it no longer hurt to breathe normally. Relief there only allowed Brody to feel the pain in his wrists and ankles all the more. Even through his clothes the shackles dug into his skin. Brody bit back another sigh.

As much as he hated to admit it, he was bored. Fear spiked when anyone came near his door, but during the long hours in between there was nothing to do. The old blanket and slightly filled bucket offered no distraction, and the chains prevented him from walking easily let alone working his forms. He had only his thoughts to keep him company.

Leaning his head against the wall Brody closed his eyes and let his mind drift back to Earth. _'Even if I can't do my forms I can still practice them.'_ Mentally executing his forms step by step Brody replayed each form he'd learned over and over. It wouldn't help his muscle memory, but if the shackles ever came off he'd be able to remember the forms to actually practice them. The clothes on his back and what he could remember was all he had left of home.

The heavy, increasingly familiar, click of his cell's lock snapped Brody's attention back up to space. He looked up to see the large cat woman, Odius if he remembered correctly, walk in. Cold spikes of fear crawled up his spine. Involuntarily, Brody pressed himself flatter against the wall. She stood staring at Brody for so long he had to fight the urge to squirm.

"Interesting." Odius finally commented. "We haven't had any dealings with your kind before, and I can't say I've been impressed. Galvanax has been searching for the Nexus Star for decades and it only takes a handful of days being on Earth for it to come into our possession." Brody stared down at his wrists determined not to give her a response.

"Though as Galvanax mentioned, the fact it came to Earth in the first place was surprising never mind that it was a human who was able to hold and wield the Star. That begs the question, what's so special about you or... what do you know about the Nexus?" Nothing, but he wasn't about to tell her that. Legs entered his line of sight moments before a clawed hand jerked his chin upward so he was staring into her eyes. "What do you know about the Prism?"

Brody set his jaw and glared up at her. He barely had time to blink before Odius backhanded him across the face. Brody's head jerked to the side as he let out a yelp of pain. Eyes watering, he reflexively brought his hands up to his cheek.

"What do you know?" Brody kept his hands cupped over his face and refused to meet her gaze. "Fine there's other ways to get information. Mark my words, I will get what I want. No matter how long it takes." Odius hissed before she turned and stalked out of the room.

Once she was gone some of the built-up water in his eyes found its way down Brody's cheeks. Carefully burying his face in his hands Brody tried to shut out the world. However, the stinging on his face served as a glaring reminder.

It wasn't like Brody hadn't been hit before on Earth- karate practice came with some mishaps, as did wrestling with family members- but until the last couple days he hadn't known the pain of those intentionally trying to hurt someone else. Such actions fed the gnawing feeling of helplessness that still threatened to choke him.

These personalities were like nothing Brody had dealt with before, and each of his main captors were a different type of cruel. Ripcon was fairly easy to figure out. He was mad at everything. His anger bubbled and simmered close to the surface before resulting in an expected eruption. Odius was something different, subtler. She was like a snake hiding in the grass. The danger unknown until it was too late. It was a small consolation that Brody hadn't seen Galvanax since his first day on the ship. He shuddered violently at the memory.

 _'It's not like I have a choice to avoid either of them.'_ Brody thought bitterly. _'They have the keys. I don't.'_ Slowly the sharp sting faded to a dull ache. Another tray was slid through the door and Brody found he was able to stomach the goop a little better than earlier. Shoving the empty bowl towards the door Brody went back to his corner, curling up in his thin blanket so ready for the day to be over. He was starting to drift off when a raised voice broke through the silence.

"I said I was hurrying." A man's voice snapped. There was a hissing and clicking noise in reply. "Well excuse me for not going the speed you want when I've been awake for two straight days getting the ship's computer back up to speed!"

Footsteps echoed in the hallway coming closer. Brody sat up while watching the door. Two of the blue robots walked past his window. That was nothing unusual, but the figure being shoved along behind them was.

Brody couldn't see his face, but from what he could see the other being looked human. His hair was an odd blonde streaked with brown, but he bore no resemblance to the contorted, hulking brutes that had grabbed Brody. Having seen only the weird monsters and robots for a couple days, another humanoid was almost out of place. _'Apparently I'm not the only prisoner.'_

A door slammed nearby and the sound of the robots faded away. After a few seconds a deep sigh drifted Brody's way. He debated on calling out to the person, but before he could work up his nerve soft snores filled the air. Laying back down Brody eventually drifted into a dreamless sleep.  
  
  


Morning came sooner than he preferred. He awoke to a sharp nudge to the ribs and bowl inches from his face. Confused, he sat up and tried to rub the sleep from his eyes. The robot made a noise that sounded like gears being wound and pushed the bowl forward spilling some of its contents on Brody's shirt. He grimaced but kept his less than complimentary thoughts to himself. _'They might just take it away.'_

Brody held it for a moment waiting for the robot to leave again. Instead it stood there waiting before finally waving his hand in "go on" motion. Self-consciously Brody raised the bowl to his lips and drank.

When he was done he held the bowl out, but the robot didn't reach for it. Brody shrugged and set the bowl down, leaning back against the wall. The robot clicked something and Brody stared back blankly. If a machine could be exasperated this one certainly appeared to be. It made the noise again and grabbed Brody's arm pulling him from the cell. Another robot appeared on his other side.

Halls passed and Brody was fairly sure they were going in a different direction than the control room. Apprehension built in Brody's gut. _'Looks like I finally see what they have in store for me.'_ Several doorposts later the robots stopped in front of a large black door with a keypad next to it. One of Brody's guards blocked his view and punched in a sequence. There was a beep and the door swung open. Mouth dry, Brody slowly followed the robot inside.

A chaotic variety of shelves, metal and mechanical equipment lay sprawled around the room. There was a counter lining the far side of the room and a desk in the middle almost invisible beneath the amount of paper, wires and metal bits on it. Though a somewhat different setup from what Brody was used to, the familiarity of a workshop atmosphere had an immediate effect on his nerves. Until the blonde/brown haired man popped out from behind a shelf, wires in hand.

The man's jaw dropped slightly at the sight of Brody flanked by the robots. His gaze flicked across the shackles on Brody's wrists before landing on the bruises on Brody's face. The shock in his face quickly changed to anger. Brody shrank back against the robots. Not that their presence offered any comfort. _'What's he going to do to me?'_

The man must have seen Brody's action because he immediately dropped the glare. Brody didn't even notice- he'd already curled his arms and neck inward to avoid the fists that were sure to come.

Shoving Brody forward, one of the robots made more clicking noises. The man nodded and the robots turned leaving Brody alone with him. Brody stood frozen, his breath hitching as the man walked slowly towards him.

"It's okay." His voice was deep, but he spoke slowly and calmly. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Brody's gaze remained fixed on the floor and he turned slightly to the side unable to hide the tremors running through his body. So far no one on this ship hadn't wanted to hurt him, or at least didn't care if they did. ' _Just because he's also a prisoner doesn't mean he's an ally.'_ It could just be an act to get Brody to lower his guard before he struck. The man stopped a few feet away, hands outstretched in a nonthreatening manner.

"My name's Mick, well Michael, but you can call me Mick. I'm sorry if I scared you." He sighed and ran a hand through his already upright hair. "I didn't know Galvanax was in the market for another... well that is to say, I was mad that there's a beat-up kid in chains on Galvanax's ship. I'm not mad at you, I'm just mad you're here."

He wrinkled his nose and started muttering almost too soft for Brody to hear, "Well that was stupid. Way to make him feel comfortable. You really have a way with words." Mick rubbed a hand over his eyes.

That definitely didn't sound like the brash arrogance and unrestrained violence that the other beings had used when speaking to Brody. He cautiously looked up. "Y-you're not going to hit me?"

Mick clenched his jaw and he took a couple deep breaths before answering. "No." It was a soft, profoundly sad word. "I promise I'm not going to hurt you. I don't want to be here anymore than you do." He gestured to Brody's wrists. "Let's see about getting those off. Galvanax wants me to teach you about the goings on in the ship, but I'm not going to do it with you like that. Seriously, it is almost impossible to sweep with handcuffs on, let alone thread wire through a fifteen-foot pipe before attaching it to the power generator in the right way to make sure it won't blow up."

Brody blanched and took a step backwards. "B-blow up?"

"Sorry, probably didn't need to say that. You won't be doing any wiring right now, that was just an analogy."

"Okay?" Brody's head spun, but he wasn't about to turn down the offer of having his hands and feet free.

He slowly approached the desk as Mick picked up a thin metal rod.

Mick gestured towards an adjacent chair. "Why don't you sit down. This may take a minute." Brody complied and Mick knelt next to him gently lifting Brody's right hand and inserting the device into the key lock. "So, what's your name?"

"B-Brody."

"Brody huh, well, it's not under the best of circumstances, but it's nice to meet you."

"You too?" It came out more of a question than a statement, but Mick didn't take offense.

At that moment the shackle fell from Brody's wrist. He couldn't stop his gasp of relief. Mick gave a small smile in response. One minute later his left wrist was free. Tears leaked from Brody's eyes at the literal weight dropping from his shoulders. He stretched his arms for the first time in three days.

"I know the feeling." There was a bitter note in Mick's voice as he started to work on the fetters. Brody looked up at him. "Galvanax has a standard procedure with his new... guests. He tries to get you feeling so low that it keeps you in line."

Brody clenched his fists. "Are...are there others here?"

"Not right now. Since I made the kudabots there hasn't been much need for extra bodies around. Well extra bodies who don't have the option to come and go as they please. The kudabots do most of the work and I'm kept around for mechanical maintenance to the ship."

"Kudabots, you mean the robots? You made the robots!?"

Mick grimaced. "Yeah. Galvanax's idea. With some...encouragement from Ripcon." He spat out the last bit. Brody flinched at Mick's anger and the mention of Ripcon. Mick sighed. "Again, sorry. I haven't really had anyone to talk to but myself for a while."

"That's okay." Brody dropped his head towards his lap. "You can understand them?"

Mick made a so-so motion with his hand. "I get the gist. Galvanax wanted a machine that would take orders without talking back, but sometimes it's necessary for them to report. So I created them with communication capabilities that Galvanax can ignore if he wants."

"But they boss you around?"

"One of Galvanax's stipulations, uh orders," Mick amended at Brody's raised eyebrow. "He controls them. There!" Brody's feet came free. "Got them."

"T-Thanks." Moving his ankles and wrists Brody tried to lose any remaining feeling of the chains. His muscles were stiff and his clothes hadn't completely protected his skin from chafing, but all in all Brody felt much better. He turned to Mick, "So what now?"

"Crash course on Galvanax and the Warrior Dome."

"What's the Warrior Dome?"

"That's the name of the airship we're in. Well it's kind of an unofficial name since the warrior dome is also a place in the ship." Mick paused seeing the confused look on Brody's face. "Let me start over. Galvanax is from the Marunian Galaxy, which is about as far from your Milky Way Galaxy as you can get in the universe. They're a fierce and cruel group who love war and combat. Over the years though their violence has turned from killing to sport.

"They created Galaxy Warriors which is a televised gladiatorial style battle royale but with less casualties- most of the time. Galvanax made a name for himself in the game and was the reigning champ for 10 years before his fame gave him the job of overseeing the game rather than being in it. This ship houses the dome where the fights take place. Unless expressly ordered, stay away from that area. Those fighters are not known to be kind." Mick subconsciously rubbed his forearm.

"So Galvanax travels the galaxies looking for new warriors that he can manipulate to be under his control through Galaxy Warriors. He's obsessed with control and wants to stay the best fighter in the universe so he also goes after objects and weapons of power. That's the double use for this airship."

Brody angrily shook his head. "So that jerk is fine ruining lives because he wants to be super powerful?"

Abruptly he stood up and walked to the table, staring blindly at the schematics scattered on it. Brody gripped the edges on the table as he tried to get his thoughts in order. Small clanking noises came from behind him, but Brody didn't turn around. He tried to ignore the pressure building up in his throat as he worked to get his next sentence out.

"My dad died trying to stop Galvanax." The noise behind him stopped. "This prism fell into our yard with a throwing star in it. I think Galvanax called it the N-Nexus?" A sharp clatter came from behind him. Brody jumped and turned to see the rod on the floor with Mick staring at him wide eyed.

"The Nexus. _The_ Ninja Nexus Star? Your dad had in his possession the Ninja Nexus Star?!" Mick sat heavily on the chair. "That makes sense now why Galvanax would care about a fringe planet." He muttered to himself before looking back to Brody. "But you're here which means... he has the Star?"

Brody looked back to the table. "Yeah. He...he took it from my dad after they ganged up on me at home. Dad tried to break it rather than let Galvanax have its power. I don't know for sure, but there was an explosion and- and after Dad wasn't there. The crystal captured the pieces of the Star, and Galvanax took me." Brody swallowed hard and rubbed at his wrists. "Though, the Prism hasn't let Galvanax in. My brother Aiden was there too, in the barn right next to us. I don't know what happened to him..."

Weight pressed on his shoulder causing Brody to flinch.

"I'm sorry Brody." Mick's voice was hollow, filled with shared pain. Brody shrugged trying to regain some of the numbness holding his emotions together.

"It's not like I can do anything about it. H-How did you end up here?"

A deep sigh came from behind him and Brody turned to face Mick. "My story's almost as abrupt as yours." Mick sat back down, his eyes glazing slightly as he relived his own nightmares. "I'm from the Lion Galaxy."

"You're from a different galaxy?" Brody blurted. In hindsight it made sense since Earth wasn't very familiar with extraterrestrials, but it was still startling. "But you speak English."

Mick gave a ghost of a smile. "No actually, I don't. I saw when you came in they'd outfitted you with a universal language translator." Brody brought a hand up to his ear. Mick nodded, "They're programmed to let you hear whatever's being said in your native language."

"At home- when they came- they were speaking English though."

"The device has a 'project' function so when the user speaks he or she can be understood. Handy when you interact with people from other galaxies... such as the Lion Galaxy, which is several thousands of light years from your Milky Way. It's much nearer to Galvanax's home and the ruling family of my planet isn't much better than Galvanax. Harshness and cruelty are their way, but they don't share Galvanax's love of bloodshed. They would often cut deals with him, exchanging labor, goods, and pleasures- those sorts of things.

"This had gone on for years, but my parents and I weren't greatly affected. We were part of the lower merchant class, not poor enough to be simple laborers, but not rich enough to have an in with the rulers. Not that my parents would want such a thing anyway. Our position allowed me to attend a better school than I might have otherwise, and I quickly found I had a knack for engineering and mechanics. By 16 I was already enrolled in the most prestigious college my world had to offer and I actively contributed to the development of the capitol's defenses, robotics and other needs." Mick paused for a moment, taking another deep breath.

"After a couple years I knew I had gained the attention of the emperor for my work, but I didn't care. I was doing what I loved and was helping to provide for my family while still in school. It was close to graduation when Galvanax paid the ruling family another visit. The advancements I had helped create caught Galvanax's eye and he wanted possession of the one making such things for his own purposes. The emperor, not wanting a quarrel with Galvanax, and seeing how he could profit, sold me to him." Mick laughed humorlessly.

"I didn't even know it. I was walking home after classes when some of the palace guards surrounded me and shoved me into a waiting car. They took me to Galvanax's ship and I haven't been off since. That was ten years ago. Like you I didn't get the chance to say goodbye. I don't know what my parents were told, if they were told anything at all..."

Brody shook his head. "Why? Why are people like that? Why are there those who don't care what they do to others?" He didn't think Mick would have the answers, but anger bubbled up in him at what they'd both endured.

Mick shrugged. "I don't know Brody, I don't know. There are those out there who destroy others for their own gain, but there are others who will rise up to face them. We just have to hope that one day someone, or someones, rise against Galvanax."

Brody turned to face Mick, a hard glint in his eye. "When that happens, I hope I'm there with them."


	8. Severing Ties

(August 25, 2009)

Rain pounded against the roof. Aiden silently cursed his already miserable luck while watching little streams run down the windowpane. Nine o'clock had come and gone. If he were to get the statue delivered and himself sufficiently gone from Summer Cove tonight, he had to leave soon. Aiden shook his head in frustration. He was as ready as he could be, and now the elements themselves were against him.

After finalizing his supplies earlier, including a couple family photos protected in a ziplock bag and writing a quick note pinned to the trophy saying it was a donation, Aiden tried to sleep through the afternoon. Tried being the key word. Worries plagued his thoughts, keeping him from falling asleep. Simple rest would have to cut it- that is if he'd be able to leave as planned.

Two backpacks and a lumpy package stared forlornly at him from the door. Aiden walked toward them and fiddled with a zipper for a moment. _'Couldn't anything be easy?'_ He opened the door for a better view. Dark clouds lay heavily in the sky, giving no indication that the rain would stop anytime soon. Growling under his breath, Aiden tried to think. Temptation to stay another night built up in his mind, but he knew that would make leaving even harder if he kept delaying. That and it continued to increase the risk someone's discovery of him and the steel.

Angrily slamming the door behind him, Aiden retreated to the living room praying the rain would stop soon. _'Though that reminds me to take an extra tarp since I can't carry the tent.'_ In that the rain may have been an unexpected blessing. _'The only good thing about it.'_ He thought darkly as he made his way to the basement. Another tarp, a hammer and several stakes later he returned to his vigil by the window.

Patience was a virtue, Dane repeated that often enough, but it was hard to be patient when there were so many things that could go wrong. Aiden watched the clock, the minutes ticking slowly by. Finally around 10:30 the rain began to lighten. Thirty agonizing minutes later a quiet lull descended on the property. Aiden checked his bags one more time before figuring he had everything he knew to bring.

It was time to go, but an ache burned in Aiden's chest. Though he knew he shouldn't stall any longer, there was one last thing he needed to do. Slowly, room by room, Aiden began to say his goodbye to the house. Memories of days good and bad filled every corner. The dining table were the four of them would have dinner, the couch where Elena would read to them or they would have a family movie night. His bedroom, the only room he'd ever had. Brody's room, where hours had been spent pretending to be knights, dragons, or ninja.

Last of all was Dane's room. A place of solace. Many late nights had been spent with Dane, whether because Aiden wasn't feeling well, startled awake by a thunderstorm or bad dream, or just wanted to be near his father. The place where many tears had been shed into Dane's arms after Elena's death. The room where it was realized their fractured family could heal, even if it would never be the same. _'I don't know how well I'll be able to keep on this time.'_

Aiden swiped at his eyes, exhausted of all the tears. In any case there wasn't time to cry. "I'll do my best Dad. That's all I can hope for right now." Taking a deep breath, he headed downstairs.

His bags sat patiently, ready when he was. Gathering everything into his arms he set them outside on the porch. With one last glance around the living room Aiden flipped off the light and gently closed the door behind him. A soft breeze blew around Aiden. Other than the gentle dripping coming from the trees the night was quiet. He waited a minute on the porch, letting his eyes adjust, before heading to grab his bike from the barn.

Once he returned to the porch loading the bike proved to be a challenge. The food bag had to be slung over the handlebars before Aiden could attempt to climb on the bike. When Aiden tried getting up using only one hand, the other cradled the now heavier trophy, the bike tipped sending Aiden and his packages sprawling.

Groaning Aiden lay on the wet grass like an upturned turtle under the weight of his bike. _'Why can't I even leave without all this happening?!'_ For a minute Aiden contemplated staying there until someone, friend or foe, found him and decided his fate. _'_

_Don't let it get in your head.'_ Dane's words echoed through his mind. _'Okay, okay.'_ Shoving the bike off Aiden slipped off the camping backpack and pushed himself off the ground.

Aiden picked up the bike and leaned it against the house. _'Three bags that need to be balanced. The weight is too much to try another one-handed attempt.'_ Aiden frowned in concentration. ' _I need both hands so maybe...'_ Aiden slung Dane's backpack on and draped the food bag again on the handlebars. However instead of trying to climb on while holding the trophy in one hand, he set the trophy on top of the handlebars allowing him to use both hands. It was still an awkward grasp, but it was more manageable than his last try.

_'You can do this.'_ Aiden swung his leg up while simultaneously pushing off the ground. His balance held. _'No turning back now.'_

The back roads were dark and quiet. Though the darkness made navigation more difficult, it would better hide Aiden from any unwanted detection. A cool breeze pushed at Aiden's back, drying the water off his clothes and urging him on.

Minutes ticked by and, with no cars in sight, Aiden lost himself in the monotony of peddling. Fields and silent houses passed by one after another as Aiden found his rhythm. Added weight from his bags slowed his progress more than what Aiden had anticipated, but an hour into the trip pinpoints of light appeared along the horizon.

Summer Cove Middle School and High School were moderate buildings set on the edge of town. Framed on two sides by fields interposed with the occasional wooded area, there were no streetlights from the back way until one reached the property itself. The other sides of the schools saw the start of illuminated residential neighborhoods before the streets gave way to downtown Summer Cove. A service road left the main road to run along the edge of the woods before coming up behind the high school. This would allow Aiden to get as close as possible before being forced under the streetlights.

Turning down the road Aiden took it until the woods ended. There he dismounted keeping a tight hold on the trophy. He slid the bike into the shadows and worked his way out of the camping backpack. Clutching the trophy in both hands Aiden crept to the edge of the trees.

Even though it was past midnight Aiden carefully scoured the area for any signs of life. Only the soft chirping of crickets could be heard. As soon as the trophy was found, possibly in only a few hours, people were going to start looking for him. Whether out of curiosity or worry as to why a child was leaving packages at a closed school in the middle of the night- that wasn't the type of action to be overlooked. It would probably be assumed Aiden didn't walk all that way but he didn't want to give them the surety of his transportation. The less anyone knew the better.

Tightly gripping the wrapped trophy Aiden slipped through the shadows until the last tree gave way to open pavement. Pausing just outside the light's reach Aiden took a deep breath and pulled the hood of his sweatshirt low over his eyes before purposefully striding across the parking lot. Head low, he gently set the trophy on the ground in front of the main entrance, making sure that his note was clearly visible. With one last glance at the trophy, and the steel it contained, Aiden hurriedly returned to the shadows.

Taking the service road back the way he'd come, Aiden stopped at the first crossroads. To the right was his home - _former home_ \- and most of what he knew. The left led south, towards anonymity and uncertainty. Safe( _er?_ ) from one semi-unknown danger but tossed into a completely new one. With one final backward glance Aiden resolutely propelled himself forward. ' _You can do this.'_

' _Really? You can do it?'_ A small voice in his mind taunted. ' _You're nine years old. You can't survive on your own in the world.'_ Drat that logic. Aiden shook his head. ' _Dad trained me, and I can do it- I hope.'_ His subconscious didn't respond.

Eyes locked ahead Aiden focused his energy on pedaling. Minute after minute, mile after mile he kept going. The surroundings began to lose its familiarity. Still he pushed on. Eventually the tremors in his legs and his gasping breath couldn't be ignored any longer.

Scanning the darkness Aiden started looking for a place to rest. Silent houses punctured the road at decreasing intervals, there were only two every half mile or so, while the pockets of trees lining the streets grew larger. _'This is probably as good of an area as any.'_ Another house peeked out of a clearing but as soon as it was well out of sight Aiden slowed to a stop.

Legs shaking with fatigue Aiden carefully swung off the bike, not trusting his balance to hold if he simply rode down the ditch. Giving himself a moment to adjust to being on the ground for the first time in hours, Aiden fished into his backpack for one of the flashlights. Though there was just enough light to see his way on the road, he didn't relish the thought of stumbling blindly through the trees. _'Still, I've got to be careful. I don't want anyone accidentally seeing the light.'_

Aiden pushed the bike down the ditch, holding the flashlight in his right hand against the handlebars. Light bounced against rocks, grass and the occasional stick. It didn't catch the small hole hiding in the shadows behind a larger rock that Aiden's ankle found. The combination of surprise and exhaustion tested all the training he'd ever had, but he was able to just keep his balance. Groaning Aiden wearily forced himself to take step after step.

Five agonizing minutes later he deemed he'd gone far enough from the road to avoid prying eyes. ' _Just a few more minutes and you can sleep.'_ Aiden tried to encourage himself as he flicked the flashlight around. There had to be a suitable place to set up camp.

A soft blanket of moss and dead leaves were punctuated by the occasional sticks and twigs. Tall sycamore and walnut trees stood as silent sentinels, their high branches swaying gently in the night breeze. _'Come on there's got to be something... There!'_ The light caught on an uprooted tree. Branches stuck up in several directions creating a small crevice that the tarp could easily cover. _'That's probably as good as it's gonna get.'_

Stumbling forward Aiden let the bike fall unceremoniously to the ground, followed quickly by Dane's backpack. _'That bike is supposed to last you long enough to actually get away.'_ The logical part of his brain scolded, but Aiden was too tired to focus on properly caring for the equipment. He located the two tarps, plopping one on the ground before unfolding the other one over the branches. Three silver rings were cut into each side allowing for rope or pegs to be inserted through.

Aiden groaned looking at them. Everything in him wanted to just curl up under it, but that ran a high risk of the tarp falling or blowing away. _'Just a few more minutes and you can sleep.'_ Mechanically he fished out a hammer and pegs. He knelt prepping to force them into the ground. His sluggish movements became more erratic and on the third peg his swing went wide.

"Ouch!" Aiden yelped in pain, falling back on his tailbone in the process. "Come on!"

Grinding his teeth Aiden returned his attention to the pegs, the shock of the hit jolted him momentarily alert enough to avoid repeating the action.

Fourth peg secured, Aiden fished out his sleeping bag and dragged it along with the second tarp into his cave. Poked on all sides by branches there was hardly room to turn around while kneeling, but it was long enough for Aiden to lay out the sleeping bag. _'_

_One last thing. That's it, just one.'_ With what felt like a superhuman effort Aiden crawled out and picked up the backpacks. He shoved them into the opening before following them inside. Carefully positioning them out of his way Aiden gratefully collapsed on the sleeping bag. Sleep took him almost instantly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took a little bit of liberty with the topography- basing it off of a nearby school district- since in the show it's obvious that the school is in the middle of town, but in ten years a lot of development can take place :)


	9. Under the Radar

(August 26, 2009)

Cheery warbling shook Aiden to consciousness. Confused, he quickly sat up, cracking his head on the low branches.

"Ouch! What the...?" His gaze landed on the sleeping bag, tarps and twigs sticking up every which way. Slowly the evens from the night- well morning- before came back to him. "Oh, right."

Flopping back on the ground Aiden glanced at his watch and grimaced. _'Only noon.'_ That left almost eight hours left until sunset. Aiden rolled over onto his side putting an arm over his eyes. ' _Too early to be up.'_

Too early it might be, but between the light filtering through his arm and the daytime sounds of people and animals Aiden couldn't fall back asleep. He sighed and turned so he was looking at the tarp above him. _'I actually did it. Oh I can't believe this. I'm in the woods, I'm hours- by bike- away from home. Aaaaand I have no idea where I'm going.'_ Aiden shook slightly despite the warm afternoon air. _'What was I thinking? I can't do this!'_

Aiden sat up, pulling his knees to his chest. "I have no clue how I'm going to do this."

Moisture pooled in his eyes, and in the quiet isolation of the woods he let the tears fall silently. After a few minutes he swiped at his cheeks.

"I still have no idea what I'm doing, but I did it and there's no going back. Not if I'm going to keep my promise to dad." He felt like a wrung-out washcloth but his promise to Dane echoed in his mind. He sat up straight and took a deep breath. "This is what it is now. Might as well accept that and move on."

As he went about the rest of the afternoon breaking camp and anxiously waiting for the sun to move faster, he made another promise. This time to himself. _'No more tears. It's time to grow up. You are going to make dad proud.'_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Six days, or nights rather, later Aiden couldn't avoid the city any longer. Not if he wanted to avoid going hungry. He leaned against the cool storm drain, his glance catching his ominously flat food backpack. While late night garden hoses worked to refill his water bottles, only a couple cans and granola bars remained of his food stores. Careful rationing could last him another day or two, but he had to figure something else out before then.

The decreased weight was a relief during the long hours biking, yet the decreased intake of what remained led to quickened fatigued during the long nights. Aiden grimaced and looked away.

Exhaustion tugged at not only his eyelids, but his very bones. Yet the thoughts plaguing his mind wouldn't allow him sleep. Instead he watched as the sky slowly turned from navy to gray. It was easier to pretend everything was okay, if even for a few minutes. That he was just enjoying another early morning sunrise. Twinkling lights of the cityscape danced in the distance, gradually dimming with the red light of dawn. Gray, black and brown buildings shot high into the air filling the horizon. It was an impressive sight.

_'But dangerous.'_ An unfortunate necessity to his complaining stomach. _'Bigger city means more people. At any time of night.'_ Aiden frowned. Until now there hadn't been a high risk of being spotted on the back roads. Any vehicle that happened to come along at three or whatever in the morning gave ample warning of its presence by its headlights, allowing Aiden enough time to get well out of sight. But the city was different; lots of people still went about their business at night. More police patrolled.

A kid biking at midnight was definitely not a normal sight, even here, and would invite too many questions. That required a change of strategy. _'And my backpacks would scream runaway._ _Though I probably get away with the regular backpack if it didn't look stuffed.'_ Aiden's eyelids began lowering on their own accord. _'I'll probably think better after I sleep.'_ Thoughts and worries spent Aiden allowed sleep to carry him away.

The sun was high in the sky when Aiden awoke from a dream with a start. Groggily, Aiden rolled over glaring at the light reflecting into his eyes. _'It's too early -late?- to be up yet.'_ Snippets of his dream played at the corners of his mind. He didn't remember everything, but monsters had been attacking again. Even though he wanted to fall back asleep his adrenaline wouldn't let him. This was becoming his standard wake up call.

Groaning Aiden surrendered, forcing himself upright. ' _I might as well get up. It would be a safer time to scope out the city now anyway._ ' He glanced at his watch, it was just past one.

Fishing out a granola bar Aiden started breaking camp while he ate. _'I need a place to hide all my stuff until I find somewhere better to sleep. The last thing I need is someone finding and taking what little I have.'_

Aiden glanced down at his clothes, already worn down from a week in the elements. There hadn't been much point in changing when he had nowhere to wash his clothes, but now he had to admit his rumpled and dirt streaked outfit would only hinder his progress. And though he didn't normally care for showers, after a week he couldn't deny noticing his own aroma.

He dug out a fresh pair of jeans and a t-shirt, followed by the wet wipes. Doing his best to conserve the wipes Aiden opted to wash only his head and arms. Still with the dirt that accumulated it took four before no more dust streaks showed on the wipes.

Feeling a little fresher he turned his attention back to breaking camp. With his food backpack emptier he decided to take advantage of the increased space, shift some of the supplies into it from the camping backpack. In the middle of stuffing his jacket into it he suddenly froze looking hard at his backpack. _'When does school start again?'_

Between hiding from aliens and sleeping in the woods, Aiden lost track of the date. ' _It has to be soon. Great, another problem.'_ That would greatly restrict the time Aiden could be in the open. But not a priority problem at the moment, his grumbling stomach reminded. ' _Right, food first.'_ A single granola bar only went so far.

With his belongings snugly packed, Aiden walked the bike outside. The storm drain sat at the bottom of a shallow ravine 100 yards from the road. Dry grass covered the sloping hills, offset by the occasional shrub or tree. Not enough to provide much cover. _'I need a better place to hide my stuff. I can't just leave it here if someone comes across the tube.'_

Aiden frowned and walked the bike up the slope. _'Come on, come on.'_ Mounting the bike, Aiden began to pedal toward the city. Several minutes later another depression appeared in the field to his left. With few options Aiden mentally shrugged and turned his bike off the road.

Another small slope lay below him. Something cement had been there at one point but all that was left now were large rock chunks. _'I can work with that.'_ Bike left atop the hill, Aiden carefully made his way down.

Tripping his way to the rocks, Aiden began to puzzle where he could put the large camping backpack and sleeping bag. Most of the rocks were smaller than a concrete block, but there were the occasional larger ones ranging up to about the size of his backpack. A small hollow had been cut into the hill, whether by the rocks falling or some other process, Aiden couldn't tell. Yet it looked like it would just fit his bag.

Setting it there, he lugged several rocks over to hide it from view. Aiden walked back a pace to see if it was at all visible, but to his shoulders relief the bag lay completely concealed. Almost as an afterthought Aiden scuffed a line in the dirt before filling it in with a line of white rocks to mark where exactly his bag hid.

_'Now all I have to do is make sure I can find my way back here_. To lose 2/3 of his already meager supplies would not be good. ' _Alright let's do this.'_ With renewed resolve, Aiden pedaled in a straight shot toward the cityscape. An hour later he reached the outskirts of the city, taking special care to note the street name and what direction he was coming from. In addition to that, Aiden looked around for a point of reference.

A large white steeple rose above many of the buildings, open on two sides with an old bell in the middle. _'The sun's sort of starting to go down so that means to my right is west and I'm coming from the north. I came in on one side showing the bell. When I come back this way it should at least point me in the right direction-ish.'_ With no other course of plan Aiden made his way into the buzzing streets.

After spending a week practically alone, the moderate amount of people going about their business overwhelmed Aiden's senses. _'Don't make eye contact, just keep going.'_ He urged them mentally. _'Nothing to see here.'_ Though probably not from his thoughts, pedestrians passed him by with hardly a glance, too absorbed in their own business. _'Good.'_

Keeping his features calm Aiden made his way further into the city. Several store shops passed him by, but all appeared to be specialty stores. _'There's gotta be a grocery here somewhere.'_

Ten minutes later a supermarket cut its way into the buildings. _'Thank goodness.'_ His aching stomach agreed. Aiden spotted a bike rack near the entrance. Riding up to it Aiden dismounted and dug out the bike lock from his backpack. He stared at the nearly empty backpack debating whether to take it inside with him or lock it around the bike. ' _Either way it's going to attract attention. Inside it might look like I'm trying to steal, but out here it could be stolen._ ' He frowned but eventually tightened his grip on the straps. _'I don't have much anymore. I don't want to risk someone taking what little I have.'_ Slinging it over his shoulder Aiden locked the bike and headed inside.

Doing his best to ignore the tantalizing colors and smells of junk foods Aiden made his way to the canned food aisle. ' _Dad always said meat and beans go the farthest.'_ A few cans of both and a box of granola bars later Aiden walked quickly toward the entrance. _'These probably aren't the normal purchases of a 9-year-old.'_ He frowned down at his selections. _'I could say my dad forgot them or something.'_

Toward the front Aiden looked around, letting out a sigh of relief upon seeing the store had a self-checkout. Keeping his pace steady, he put the items through as quickly as he could without it looking obvious that he was rushing. The cash from home and that had already been in Dane's wallet came to about $300. Not much, but Aiden would make it stretch the best he could. After paying, Aiden took his bags and placed them into his backpack.

Returning to his bike, Aiden resumed his exploration of the city. The clock tower disappeared quickly into the mass of buildings, but Aiden cemented other buildings in his mind to mark his progress. To make it easier for him Aiden did his best to travel in a straight-ish line. Skyscrapers gave way to work districts and store fronts, but the areas were too nice. There was nowhere suitable to become a hideout that wouldn't draw the attention of the well-to-do, and their cameras.

The sun was well to the west when Aiden decided he wasn't going to find what he needed. At least not today. Heaving a sigh Aiden swung his bike around toward the direction he'd come. _'Now to backtrack. Which won't take long at all.'_ He rolled his eyes. At the very least his return trip would take almost three hours, and that's if he didn't lose his way back to camp. _'That would be awesome, but super unlikely.'_

The large buildings began to block the sun's light, casting long shadows on the roads. A gradual decrease in pedestrians became apparent. Aiden nervously glanced at his watch. It was just past 7. _'Not too late to be suspicious yet, but I just hope I can make it to the outskirts of the city before dark.'_ If his math was right, and he kept going the right way, he still had an hour and a half before making it back to camp. _'That's not an unusual time for kids to be outside still. I think.'_

Time ticked by. Streetlights flickered on as the sun fell closer to the horizon, hiding behind the buildings. The sparkling lights reflected on the clock tower when Aiden finally caught sight of it. He was a few blocks east from where he'd started but that was easy enough to correct. _'Over halfway back. You can do it.'_

The outlying roads looked different in the dusk. Streetlights cast oblong shadows on the road and the passing building lost many of their distinguishing features. _'It's a straight shot. That's all you have to do.'_ So focused on prodding himself forward Aiden almost missed the depression where he'd buried his supplies. As it was, he had to brake hard before veering off the road.

Leaving the bike at the top of the hill Aiden stumbled his way down to the rocks. The hollow holding his bags remained undisturbed. Though only a few rocks covered the opening each one felt heavier than the last as Aiden shifted them. When half his backpack was visible he grasped it in an attempt to pull it free. After a few seconds the remaining stones shifted releasing the backpack. Aiden stumbled back at the lack of resistance, barely managing to catch himself from falling.

_'For the love.'_ Groaning Aiden dragged himself back to his bike. The bags had to be balanced again, but even with the newly added weight they still weren't as bulky as when Aiden's trip first started. Two minutes later he was back on his way. To Aiden, the return to the storm drain felt like a dream— the perception aided by his thoughts drifting down random tangents as his weary body began to lose touch with reality.

Jerking his nodding head upright Aiden forced his eyes wide open. A spill onto the asphalt was not currently on his to-do list. The concrete cylinder was a welcome sight when it finally appeared. Thoroughly exhausted Aiden walked his bike down the slope before flopping unceremoniously on the ground. Too tired even for food Aiden rolled the sleeping bag out and sprawled on top of it.

Though he'd only awoken a few hours before, he hadn't given his body a chance to recover from yesterday's miles before getting back on the bike today. It also didn't help he'd only slept for 6 hours. Pushing himself to find a place in the city wore him out. Aiden frowned, wondering if he was coming down with something. _'Probably not, hopefully. I'm just tired. If I'm going to make the city my... place to live I'll need to sleep at night again.'_ After a week of late travel his body had grown used to a night schedule.

_'Maybe wearing myself out is good. I'll sleep. Then I can try to find somewhere tomorrow to live since this isn't going to cut it.'_ Aiden pulled out Dane's pocketknife. Rubbing the wood with his thumb he pictured Dane's and Brody's faces.

"I miss you guys. A lot." Aiden's voice cracked slightly. "Brody you'd probably call this an adventure. It might be, I guess. I just thought our adventures would be together as a family. Not me by myself. I went to town today Dad. Didn't see anywhere that would work to live. I'm still wondering if I'm crazy for doing this. But I don't want you to have to worry about the steel, or me. I can make do..."

Filling his 'family' in on the day's events Aiden shoved down the ache in his chest. He could make this work. He had to.


End file.
